Fate Amicitia
by SanguineLord
Summary: Twilight's fate is about to take a turn for the strange. A magical ritual has begun in the land of Equestria, and it's not in any of Twilight's books. It's no spell a pony ever cast. It's dangerous. It's destructive. And there's no getting out of it once it's begun. It's called the Holy Grail War, and it's about to engulf the entire town of Ponyville.
1. Definition of Lies

_There is a world out there, I know it very well._

_It's a world where no matter how dark an evil becomes, a happy ending is waiting._

_And even the most twisted things can be redeemed._

_Our world is no such place. _

_I've seen this story play out too many times._

_Even the happiest paths end up bittersweet at best if you watch long enough._

_I've decided to take some responsibility._

_And anyway, I would think you would approve. _

_Some version of you once said that you hate when someone's hard work goes unrewarded._

_And given how things played out back then, this version of you clearly agrees._

_So I'm sending this story there. One last run through the plot._

_And on this route, there is no doubt in my mind there's a Happy End waiting._

_And all the evils of the world won't be enough to change that._

* * *

The Summer Sun Celebration.

The words on a banner draped across Ponyville City Hall gave Twilight Sparkle chills as she walked through the town square. The young purple Unicorn remembered the first time she'd been in this town for the event. In retrospect they were happy memories. Memories of adventure and friendship and good feelings, at least when all was said and done. But at the time they were anything but.

At the time, she'd been angry, fearful. A few times she'd just wanted to break down crying, or scream: When she'd warned the Princess about the prophecy of Nightmare Moon's return and been ignored, during the discomfort of being the center of attention for unfamiliar social interactions. And then came the terror of facing the monster Nightmare Moon herself. The weight of whatever awful fate would befall her kidnapped mentor, or even the whole world, if she were to fail. When she'd lived through those things, it had been terrible.

But all of that was in the past, and today nopony she could see was dwelling on gloomy thoughts. Ponyville was a buzzing beehive of activity as preparations for something huge were well underway. The market stalls were dressed up with wonderful, sunny colors and royal symbols, and they seemed to be practically bursting with new wares. Every inn, hostel, bed and breakfast and flophouse in town was freshening up its paint job, cleaning its windows and fluffing its pillows. Smoke was rising from Sugar Cube Corner's ovens, and it wasn't the only place that showed signs of metaphorical heavy lifting. Or, for that matter, literal heavy lifting, as Pegasi flitted through the skies and Earth Ponies dragged along carts laden down with heavy wooden beams and other construction supplies, taking them all over town. And on top of it all, every street was full of visitors from other parts of Equestria, taking in the sights and filling the air with excited chatter. It was a whirlwind that had been going on for nearly a week.

She wondered if Mayor Mare had asked to see her because she was having problems with scheduling and administration of all the work around town. As she opened the doors to City Hall and told the receptionist that she had an appointment, she resolved to be ready to do whatever the Mayor needed in order to help.

* * *

After the Mayor finished explaining her special request, Twilight's earlier resolve was far from her mind.

She had a hard time imagining the look of bewilderment that was certainly painted on her face as she fought the urge to pace around the immaculate office of Ponyville's Mayor. The silver-haired Earth Pony politician was leaning against her polished oak desk, hooves steepled in a thoughtful way and a salesman's smile on her lips. She was clearly quite pleased with herself. "Come now, Twilight, there's nothing to think about here! You act like it'd be the first time you'd ever given a speech to the town. You've never had a problem with the spotlight before."

Twilight managed to find her voice. "Miss Mayor, that was different. This isn't me telling everypony about something wonderful my friends have done, or sharing important news with them, or even trying to organize them for something. You just want me to get up on stage and… make up stories!"

The Mayor seemed aghast. "Twilight, that wasn't my intent at all! How could you say such a thing?"

Twilight checked herself. The Mayor seemed legitimately hurt by her words, and seeing that Twilight scuffed at the ground bashfully with her hoof. After all, she had all-but accused the other pony of asking her to lie to the whole town. Politician she might be, but Mayor Mare had never been anything but a good and helpful part of the community, and Twilight couldn't recall any time she'd been dishonest.

"Well, maybe you should explain this idea to me one more time. I suppose I just don't understand what you're asking of me."

The Mayor hopped down from her desk with a cheerful, "Of course," then walked over to a wall-mounted marker board that was covered in plans and photographs. Gesturing with her hoof, she began her pitch from square one.

"As you know, Twilight, last year's Summer Sun Celebration was canceled by Princess Celestia. She felt a holiday that celebrated a terrible battle with Princess Luna which culminated in her thousand-year imprisonment was somewhat inappropriate after she was saved by you and your friends. Since the Celebration is a national event observed by ponies all over Equestria, rather than a more regional tradition like Nightmare Night, it was understandable that she wanted it to be downplayed. But for this year that's changed, and the Celebration is back on!"

Twilight nodded along with the Mayor's words. Princess Celestia had actually sent her a letter several days before the official announcement. It explained that Princess Luna had specially requested that the holiday be reinstated. After her experience visiting Ponyville during Nightmare Night, she understood that reminders of her past didn't need to be unpleasant, especially if those reminders brought joy to her subjects. 'And after all,' Celestia had written, 'No pony has more reason to celebrate the defeat of Nightmare Moon than my beloved sister.'

"As you may further recall from the town meeting we had shortly after that announcement, we here at City Hall see the reinstatement of this holiday as a golden opportunity for commerce and tourism to pick up during the normally slow summer months. After all, our humble town is the home of the Elements of Harmony, and the site of Nightmare Moon's final defeat. That's a claim to fame for the season if ever there was one!"

Technically, Twilight reminded herself, Nightmare Moon had been defeated in the ruins of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, out in the Everfree Forest. But she didn't want to interrupt the Mayor's roll, so she held her tongue.

"To that end-" the Mayor gestured broadly across the board to the litany of ideas for events, games, concerts, air shows, parties and other attractions, many of which Twilight had passed on the way over. "-we have been gearing up for the biggest event in Ponyville's history, and visitors are already flocking to our humble town. Ticket sales for various events, room rentals, and the projections for food sales and other local commerce based on the last few days alone are off the charts!"

"I understand all that Miss Mayor," Twilight finally spoke up, "Applejack and Pinkie Pie have told me about how much overtime they're working to fill orders from restaurants all over town, and Rarity plans to practically double her summer profits with a few special seasonal designs. But I don't see what this part you want me to play for you has to do with anything."

The Mayor stepped back from the board and adjusted her glasses. "Well, the thing is Twilight… Honestly, as excited as I was setting all this up, in the last few days I've been worried that I didn't take Princess Luna's feelings into account. I know bringing back the Celebration was all her idea, but at the same time… Well, after Nightmare Night was over I just felt terrible. I know it all worked out in the end, but when I thought about myself cowering in the dirt instead of making her feel welcome, I was so ashamed."

That wasn't exactly the expected direction for the conversation to take. The way the Mayor slumped her shoulders and her drooping tail made it clear to Twilight just how serious she was, and how difficult it was to share this. She rested a hoof on the older woman's shoulder. "It's alright Mayor. Without you, things might not have turned around that night. You more than made up for any mistake you made."

The Mayor offered her a sad little 'thank you,' smile. "Well, still. I want to make sure that I don't make any mistakes this time. This is our chance to make a new beginning for the Summer Sun Celebration. With how big we've made this event, all eyes are going to be on Ponyville, and we've got a chance to set the tone for all of Equestria. I want to make sure that instead of another thousand years of remembering Princess Luna as a villain who was cast down, that we remember her as a friend that the Elements of Harmony saved from a terrible fate!" She moved her face very close to Twilights and looked her dead in the eyes. "And I need your help to make sure that happens, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight gave an uneasy smile as she broke eye contact and backed away from the uncomfortably close quarters, but tried to stay encouraging. "I see. That seems wonderful, Miss Mayor. So, basically all you want is for me to give a speech at the opening ceremony for the Celebration. You want me to tell the story of what happened when Nightmare Moon returned, and how we saved Princess Luna with the Elements, so we can 'set the tone,' for the event like you said. But earlier you told me you wanted me to embellish the story! I don't understand that part. Don't you want me to tell the truth? Isn't that the whole point?"

"Of course I want that Twilight. But-" The Mayor sighed deeply, "-well, to be honest, some ponies don't want to hear the truth. They'd much rather have a story." She began to do a little pacing of her own. "Think about when Nightmare Moon first came into the ballroom on that day she was freed, for example. We were all in a panic because Princess Celestia was missing, and the very first thing anypony said to this dark, mysterious creature in our midst was to ask what she had done to the Princess. We didn't have any reason to assume she was responsible for Celestia being gone. But it made sense to us because she was dark, and sinister, and she'd shown up in the wrong place at the wrong time, so she surely had to be guilty. That's a story that makes sense to ponies. What if Nightmare Moon had been some innocent bystander instead of a powerful monster? Who knows what we might have done to her."

Twilight had never even considered that before, but it made a lot of sense to her when put in those terms. Twilight herself had known all about the Mare in the Moon and the prophecy, so she'd had facts backing her up when she told everypony what was happening that night, but Rainbow Dash had just lashed out with no information at all. She was also reminded of the first time she'd seen Zecora, the mysterious Zebra, and how all her friends had acted fearful and prejudiced in the face of the unknown.

The Mayor continued, "If all you give people are the facts of what happened they're going to use them to make up their own story Twilight. Believe me, I know from experience. You wouldn't believe the kinds of rumors my secretary overheard around town when people were trying to 'figure out' why I dye my hair." Despite the seriousness of the conversation, they both allowed themselves a chuckle at that comment.

"Anyway, when you get up on that stage, all I want is for you to take control of that narrative. Not necessarily to lie, I would never ask that of you. But if you think some detail might be too scary for a young filly, like when you all had to fight that Manticore, you could just skip over to the part when Fluttershy peacefully pulled the thorn from its paw. Or Princess Celestia being taken. It's not really important to the story of saving Princess Luna that it happened. All it's going to do if you bring that up is remind ponies that the first thing Nightmare Moon did when she arrived was hurt our beloved monarch, and that's the last thing anypony wants to think about, or for that matter we want them thinking about. Forget worrying about every little factual detail and focus on telling a story that everypony will enjoy." She offered Twilight a playful wink.

* * *

Twilight sat at her writing desk at the Ponyville Library, quill hovering overhead while wrapped in the purple glow of her magic. She hadn't managed to convince herself to put it to paper.

In the end, she had agreed to the Mayor's request to give a speech, but made no promises on the content. She felt like her head was going to split. Everything that the Mayor had said to her about stories, and the reasons they were putting on this festival, and helping Princess Luna, it all made sense. But it didn't feel right somehow.

It was obvious that lying about things would be terrible. There wouldn't be a whole Element of Harmony dedicated to honesty if lying was ever going to help anything. But was it really lying to just gloss over a few things, omit some information or twist a couple of facts to make somepony look better?

She decided she needed to talk it out, find a sounding board to help make up her mind. She glanced up at the library's loft to check on her go-to for that sort of thing, and found that her faithful dragon assistant Spike was enjoying a nap. "Well then, I guess I'll go visit the others. I'm sure they'll know the right thing to do."

She casually strolled across town and made her way to Sweet Apple Acres. It didn't take her too long to find Applejack out in the fields, as the clack of hooves on apple trees was echoing across the hills and made for easy tracking.

Applebuck season was still some time off, but the demand for foodstuffs with the upcoming festivities had been so massive that the Apples couldn't pass up the potential business. With Granny Smith's begrudging blessing, spoken around grumbles of lowered quality given the earliness of the season, they had begun to harvest their crop, and profits were already pouring in as fast as they could ship out the fruit.

In fact, demand was so high, that the family had called in the proverbial cavalry. Apple clan members from distant corners of Equestria, their own harvest time a long way off, had appeared to help bring in as many crops as the hungry tourists could possibly eat. Some Twilight recognized. The brothers Red and Golden Delicious, excitable Braeburn, clumsy Caramel, and energetic Apple Fritter all caught her eye. There were more that she'd never seen before, and it made her happy, and relieved, that AJ had all the help she needed.

At last she located her friend, chatting amiably at the base of a bucked tree. She held her faithful hat in hoof, allowing the summer breeze to comb through her long blonde mane to cool herself off more quickly. Near her were her younger sister Applebloom, and another pony Twilight didn't recognize. The new pony was a Unicorn, a fact which surprised Twilight a bit as she'd never met an Apple that wasn't an Earth Pony. She was tall, had a sleek, slender build and a deep golden-orange coat. Her long mane, colored a wine red with streaks of forest green, as well as her tail were done up in glamorous curls. Rarity would have certainly approved. Most shocking of all, however, was that she did not have a Cutie Mark! A full-grown mare with a blank flank! It was clear why Applebloom was stalking around her like a curious puppy dog. Twilight made a stern mental note to not say anything. She would have to be sensitive.

Walking up with a wave of the hoof, Applejack invited her to join the conversation. "Twilight! Nice to see you. I'd like to introduce you to one of my more distant relations. This here is Apple Island. Apple Island, meet Twilight Sparkle. She's none other than Princess Celestia's personal magic apprentice!"

Twilight felt a blush coming on, but Apple Island remained composed and graceful, and craned her neck in a simple but elegant bow. "My goodness," she began, her voice lacking any recognizable accent, "It's certainly an honor to meet such an accomplished magic user. I've dabbled in such studies myself. I'm a bit of an odd-ball in this family I'm afraid." She offered up a smile, and Twilight couldn't help but smile back. There was a certain charm about this mare that made one instantly like her. When you looked into those dark red eyes, you just knew you were talking to a pony you could trust. Twilight reflected on how honesty worn on the sleeve must run in the family.

"She hails from one of our most distant branches, even further out than Uncle Apple Strudel. Heck, even Granny Smith didn' recognize her when she first walked up the way. But you know how that old gal is, a cup of coffee and a nice chat and the memories came floodin' back."

"Well, I should hope so." Twilight replied, "Even if she's a distant relation, it seems like she'd be hard to forget. I mean, she's a Unicorn, and she's absolutely gorgeous. Plus she has no…" She managed to trail off without finishing the sentence, but the damage was done. If she'd slapped herself in the forehead any harder, there would have been a permanent hoofprint.

"Miss Twilight, you don't need to be embarrassed," Apple Island consoled her, amazingly not upset even slightly by Twilight's massive social gaff. "Believe me when I say I have absolutely no concern over the fact that I don't have a Cutie Mark. After all, it's not like I'm missing a leg. It's something I can easily do without."

Twilight was amazed at her cool disposition. The idea of never finding your special talent, the one thing you were best at, was a troubling one. She'd told Applebloom and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders many times that it wasn't something that could be forced and it would come in its own time, but that you might NEVER find it wasn't even in the equation as far as Twilight was concerned. Still, if this pony was happy, Twilight wasn't about to try and make her miserable. In all honesty, it was a wise point for view, and who was she to disagree?

"Oh, speak for yourself Cousin Island. I think I'd rather be missin' a leg than _never_ get my Cutie Mark." Applebloom's moping was unsurprising. It was obvious that she was enamored with the cool, pretty older mare, but she probably didn't like hearing anypony say they were so unconcerned about the most important thing in her life.

Apple Island gave the young girls head a pat in a consoling gesture. "If anything, I'm sorry that I don't have one for dear Applebloom's sake. After I arrived and heard how troubled she is about her lack of a mark, I'd hoped my presence would make her a bit more chipper, but so far it's been a mixed bag."

"Well if you'd been able to magic a Cutie Mark up for me, I'd certainly be a lot more chippy-er," she sighed. Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"You tried to get Apple Island to give you a Cutie Mark with magic? You know we've tried that before. Not to brag or anything, but why would you think any other Unicorn could do it if I couldn't?"

Applebloom started a bit, and stumbled over her response. "Oh, uh, no reason. I just uh… thought it might work this time because I'm older now." Twilight smiled and shook her head. The little filly had probably forgotten the entire episode and was embarrassed to admit it. With the sheer volume of schemes she'd tried to get her Cutie Mark, one slipping her mind was to be expected.

After getting a good natured laugh out of the way, Applejack turned back to her guest. "Well, now that the introductions are out of the way, what can I do ya for Twilight?"

Twilight briefly explained the Mayor's request, making her concerns about bending the truth, even for a good cause, plain. Applejack nodded in a sage-like manner as Twilight laid out the pros and cons of the situation, and was deep in thought for several minutes after the tale was complete. "That's quite a pickle you've got there Twilight. I mean, you know me; honesty is always the best policy as far as this Apple is concerned. But the Mayor's got a point. I remember how rough Nightmare Night was on Princess Luna when you first walked up to me and asked me to show her a good time, so helpin' her make a good impression can't be a bad thing. Especially if you're not really lyin' to do it. I wish I could be more helpful, but I'm sure a somepony as smart as you will make the right decision."

Applebloom spoke up, "You know Twilight, when me and the girls were writin' for the school paper, some of the stories we wrote about other ponies were made up, some of them were completely true, and some were kind of in-between. It seemed like somepony was angry or sad no matter what we did. I don' know if that helps, but… Well, maybe you should just write whatever you think will make everypony happy."

* * *

"'Whatever will make everypony happy,' huh?" Twilight wondered aloud. She'd thought that after talking to Applejack everything would be crystal clear, sure that the Element of Honesty would see what the right thing was immediately. Now she was more confused than ever. She meandered her way across town trying to collect her thoughts, and found herself at the door of Rarity's boutique. Deciding more advice was just what she needed, she approached the door… only to jump back as another pony stepped through.

It wasn't anypony Twilight knew, which probably meant she was one of the tourists. She had a surprisingly intense look, her sparkling aqua-marine eyes giving off a feeling of authority and danger that reminded Twilight of the few times she'd met the Wonderbolts' captain, Spitfire. However, this was an Earth Pony rather than a Pegasus.

She was pale cream in color, not quite the sparkling pristine white of Rarity's coat but closer to fresh milk. It was hard to gauge her build because most of her body was draped in a long, bright blue cloak, but she seemed on the small side, not very tall or muscular. Her spun-gold mane seemed cut very short at first, but the two long bangs framing her face, the single stray curl accenting her look, and the elaborate combination of braid and bun gathered at the back of her neck made it clear it was actually grown out quite a bit. Her tail length was also impressive, though it was tightly woven into a braid as well. Twilight wondered if the pony was trying to look more masculine, as she would undoubtedly give off a girlish air if she let her hair hang loose. As it was, the only mark of femininity was a simple blue ribbon helping to tie her hair.

The strange pony seemed very startled by Twilight being in the doorway, though it only showed on her face for a split second. Not wanting to be rude, Twilight offered an apology. "Oh, I'm sorry; did I get in your way? I was just trying to visit my friend, she owns this shop."

The cloaked stranger regarded Twilight with a critical eye for a few somewhat uncomfortable moments without answering. Just when she was wondering if she should say something else, Twilight finally got a response. "Not at all. The error was mine. Forgive my rudeness; I wasn't expecting anyone else to be around here."

Twilight gave a polite nod. "Well, Rarity is an up-and-coming designer, so her boutique is more popular than some ponies might think. If anything it's unusual that you were the only one around. But that's good for me, since it means I won't be bothering her with my visit. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying your visit to Ponyville, Miss…?"

But the mare didn't answer, instead ending the conversation by returning Twilight's nod, and simply saying, "Yes, this is quite an interesting place. Thank you for the conversation. I'm certain I'll see you again."

Shrugging off the other pony's strange behavior, she walked through the door and called out to her friend. "Rarity? Are you busy? I'm kind of in a jam and was hoping you could give me some advice."

As always, Carousel Boutique was a wonderland of beauty, as gem-studded, high-fashion clothes covered mannequin after mannequin. Rarity's summer line took up most of the display space. The theme, as she'd described it to the group, was "Hot Summer Sun and Hot Summer Nights." On one side of the store she'd decorated with all the trappings of summer fun. Fanciful frilly swimsuits, sleek outdoorsy sets with shorts, boots and sleeveless shirts perfect for camping, and light, airy sundresses with broad hats and parasols lit up the room with whites, yellows and oranges. On the other side, things were done up like a trendy nightclub, with neon lights and standees of big buildings setting the stage for slick black suits and form-fitting silk evening wear that werew sure to turn every head on the dance floor. Best of all, every outfit had special gem inlays based on the Cutie Marks of Princesses' Celestia and Luna, to specially commemorate the Summer Sun Celebration. Rarity had truly outdone herself for this event. Wherever she was.

After calling out a few more times, Twilight began peeking into the back rooms. It was several minutes before she finally located the white unicorn, rustling around in the room where she stored her special fabrics. She was muttering to herself, "Where is it? Where could I have put it? It's got to be here somewhere."

"Rarity!" Twilight called out to her friend, and was surprised as the sound of her voice made the other mare leap into the air in shock, like she'd been hit with a bucket of cold water. "Oh, I'm sorry. I startled you."

"N…not at all darling! Why would I be startled? It's just another average day here at Carousel Boutique after all!" She stepped away from the rolls of fabric in the storage closet and guided Twilight back onto the main floor. "Now, what can I do for you? Looking for a new dress for the festival?"

"No, nothing like that. I just need some advice. See, I-" She paused, as a thought occurred to her. Perhaps Applejack's advice had been colored because she knew specifically that this speech was for the purpose of helping Princess Luna. Luna was a friend, and AJ had been pretty focused on her being the benefactor of the story when giving her non-committal answer. She might get a more honest view if she kept things vague.

"Let me ask you this: Is it OK to bend the truth, or maybe just leave some information out, when you're telling a story if it helps somebody look better? I was thinking about it, because somepony I know wants me to write a little story about some true events that happened to me, but she wants me to kind of… dress up the facts a bit, make it more of a _storybook_ story. I'm not really sure what to do. I don't want to be dishonest, but it's not exactly lying either, and I do want to help this pony out."

Rarity rubbed a hoof under her chin. "Hmm… that is a tough question." She gave it a few moments of thought, and then her eyes lit up. "Ah, I know. Now, this is a bit embarrassing so I'm afraid I can't get too specific on the details. But once, when I thought it was important to make myself look good to others, I did more than bend the truth, I told a few outright lies." Twilight's eyes went wide as saucers at this admission. "Yes, yes, I know darling, it was dreadful of me. And the funny thing was, in the end, the lies I told didn't really make any difference to the most important ponies. The ones whose opinions of me really mattered cared more about who I was than the fibs I'd made up to make myself seem better. And they never even found out that those things I said were lies, because in the end they were so unimportant that nobody remembered them."

Twilight let out half of a sigh of relief, but Rarity wasn't finished. "That all being said… I would be lying to you right now if I told you that the lies I told didn't matter _ever_. They didn't matter at the end, sure. And they didn't matter to the ponies that were most important. But they did matter to some ponies along the way. Some of them may not have looked at me twice if I hadn't created a few little fictions, and because they did, I got to experience some wonderful things. I don't want to support lying, believe me. In the end I was sorry I'd ever bothered doing it and if I had to do it over again I wouldn't have wasted the effort. But at the same time, my lying didn't hurt anyone, and it did me some good, even if it was far less important than I thought it was." Rarity noticed that Twilight's mood seemed to have dipped during this part of the speech, and gently brushed a hoof past her cheek. "In your case, dear, from what you said it doesn't seem like you're telling lies at all. Just not telling every little sordid bit of the truth. Nor are you doing this for yourself, but to help somepony else. I think the only reason you're so torn up is that no matter what you do, you'll be doing the right thing."

Twilight couldn't say that her conflict was completely resolved, but Rarity's heartfelt words had certainly soothed the irritation in her mind. She moved in and gave her friend a hug as a thank you. Their warm moment was soon interrupted by a loud, slightly obnoxious "Aaaaaaaaaw, how sweet!" from the far window. When they both replied with annoyed eye rolling, the raucous laughter of Rainbow Dash became unmistakable.

"You know, Rainbow Dash, some of us can express our emotions openly in moments other than life-and-death peril," Rarity chided.

The baby-blue Pegasus flipped her rainbow colored mane and scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, I was just tweaking your tail. Give me a break here! I've been busting my feathers working on the weather scheme for this big festival. My nap schedule is way off." Twilight giggled despite herself. "Anyway Twilight, you know what I think about your story thingy?"

Before Twilight could respond, Rarity interjected. "Rainbow Dash, were you eavesdropping on us?"

"Yes. Anyway, about this story thing, I think it's just like Daring Do, you know? Those stories aren't for real, even though some of them are based on real stuff. Daring Do is supposed to be an Archeologist, but nobody wants to hear a story about brushing dust off shards of pottery with a tiny brush for six months and then finding out if was some local housewife's flower pot. So the writer dresses things up so it's more exciting!"

Twilight nodded, but wasn't totally convinced. "But Rainbow, this story isn't totally made up based on a real thing like Daring Do. It's supposed to be the actual story of something that happened to me."

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I don't think that's all that different. If I was going to write a story about me, I wouldn't make it about days where I sit around taking naps or busting clouds, it'd be about stuff like when I saved all the Wonderbolts and Rarity at the Best Young Flier's Competition!"

As she usually did when that little episode was brought up, Rarity looked a bit uncomfortable, but Twilight ignored her. "But that story wasn't all action and heroics. I remember how crazy nervous you were. You even told me that you were switching numbers with other ponies so you wouldn't have to go out and fly!"

It was Rainbow's turn to look sheepish. "Well, yeah… look, when I read a book, the most important thing is that I enjoy the story! Some people might want to hear a story about somebody who messes up and is afraid and stuff. But when I read a book, I want my hero to be AWESOME! Cool and brave and tough, a real Pony's Pony, you know? If you want my opinion of how you should write your story Twilight, that's it: before you worry about being true, worry about being awesome! After all, if the story is about you, then you get to be the hero!"

* * *

Twilight groaned loud and long as she tossed another sheet of paper into a growing pile behind her chair. After Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had proven too busy to offer her any advice, she'd returned home and tried attacking the problem head on by just starting to write and seeing where her words took her. Unfortunately, her words hadn't taken her more than a couple sentences in after nearly four hours of trying. Whether she tried to be more truthful or more dramatized, nothing felt right. Spike had ended up being no help when he finally woke up, his advice amounting to, "I dunno, but I'm glad I'm not in your shoes," without even the marginally helpful context of an opinion for both positions, which Applejack's similar response had provided.

Another ball of paper joined the pile, and she found that she'd gone through another scroll. She planted her face into her desk and put her quill back in its inkwell. She wasn't getting anywhere at this rate. She glanced upward toward her bed, taking in the glorious clear night and full moon in frame through her window. Maybe sleep would help. She still had more than a week before the Celebration, so she had time to mull this over and still finish the speech on time.

As she slouched up the ladder toward her bed, she sighed. "It may be my story, but I certainly didn't feel like a hero then. And even if I'm trying to help someone, this mess isn't making me feel like one either."

She pulled open her blanket and flopped onto the mattress, enjoying its welcoming embrace. She turned back toward the window, her eyes already feeling heavy. A loud yawn escaped her. "Hero… I wonder what it even means to be a hero…"

Her eyes fluttered closed. And then shot back open in shock. She screamed.

Outside her window, on the branch of the tree the library was built into, stood a pony bathed in moonlight. Twilight's terrified brain barely recognized that it was the same blonde-haired blue-caped pony she'd seen at Rarity's shop. She was staring right at Twilight with those piercing blue-green eyes, her garment fluttering in the night breeze. Then, without any warning, she tensed her legs and launched herself through Twilight's window, shattering it into a million pieces and landing inside the house.

Twilight next scream barely managed to make a squeak thanks to her fright, but she did manage to call out Spike's name in a tiny voice. Impossibly, the little dragon was still asleep despite the clamor. The stranger spoke, in a voice as clear as a bell chime. "Your pet will not wake. I took precautions so that we could speak in private." From beneath her cape, a malicious red glow flashed for a split second, and the glass shards and splintered wood that were littering the floor and bed sprang to life, floating into the air and reassembling like a jigsaw puzzle in the window frame. Once the window was completely back in shape, the cracks of the seemingly countless pieces seemed to flow away, and in seconds it was if nothing had ever happened. Other than the crazy pony who was still standing at the foot of her bed.

Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat, and leapt to her hooves, eyeing the ladder down to the ground floor and wondering if she could make the jump without hurting herself. "That was magic! How did you do that? You're an Earth Pony, not a Unicorn!"

The invader said nothing. Desperate and too afraid for rational though, Twilight stepped onto the frame of her bed and tried to jump for safety. Unfortunately, her hoof slipped on the polished wood, and she flailed helplessly as she fell onto her back, hitting the floor of the loft hard.

The blonde pony stepped around the bed, and stood before Twilight with an air of menace. Twilight felt paralyzed, helpless. But the strange pony did not attack. What she did instead… defied belief.

An explosive burst of wind erupted from the Earth Pony's body, her cape and tail whipping about wildly. Twilight's bedding was tossed away, and she worried she herself or the still sleeping Spike might follow. This was certainly more magic, though it lacked the eerie red glow of the previous spell. As the wind swirled, a different glow wrapped around the intruder's entire body, this one pale blue. And before Twilight's eyes, she changed.

From behind the veil of the magical glow, the intruder's entire shape changed. She grew taller, her spine and legs seemed to morph into a different shape, her limbs and facial structure going through radical alterations as entirely new body parts grew from nothing. The only things that seemed to remain the same were her haircut and her still intense eyes. It only took a few seconds, and when it was done, the pony was gone, and in its place was something Twilight had never seen before.

Trying to stay calm, Twilight thought like a student. The creature seemed like it might be a primate of some kind. Her limbs ended in, rather than any kind of paw or hoof or talon, things that the Spider Monkeys kept by Princess Celestia had. She recalled they were known as "feet," and "hands," depending on which limb they were attached to. She had no coat at all on what little pale-pinkish skin was visible, mostly on her face, though her mane was still there. Twilight saw she had only two legs, (the other two seemingly had become arms) as they were just visible poking out of the bottom of a long blue and gold dress with a bell-shaped skirt that concealed most of her abdomen. They were protected by thick metal barding or armor.

In fact, a lot of her was covered in armor. Her skirt had two large protective plates, and an ornate cuirass surrounded her chest. Her hands were completely obscured by mitten-like gloves made from interlocking plates. A simple glance was enough to tell Twilight that, whatever kind of animal she was, she was a warrior, just like her brother Shining Armor.

The transformation complete, the rampaging winds finally subsided, but did not vanish. Instead, they seemed to die down in intensity, then gather together until they became just barely visible from swirling particulates. They took on an oblong shape, which the creature grasped in its hand like it was something solid. She loomed over Twilight's fallen body, her alien but elegant new self framed by the pure white light of the moon. Finally, in the same voice as her pony form, she spoke:

"Twilight Sparkle. At the bidding of the Holy Grail, I bring you notice. You have been chosen, and granted the right to the title of Master. I am Ruler, by my name of Arturia Pendragon. I bid you, call forth your Servant. The Holy Grail War has begun."

* * *

**Authors Note: **I've never really posted a fanfic before, so I hope you all enjoy this, it's been stuck in my head for a long time. I don't have a pre-reader, so if I made some big typo or grammatical gaff, feel free to share, it'd help me out.


	2. War Council

Twilight regarded the sole of her hoof in silence. No candles lit the room, but the pale moonlight was more than enough to make out the three red marks marring the violet. Ruler had told her that normally there would have been some kind of bruise on the spot where these things would appear, but who would have thought to check the underside of their hoof for something like that?

The pattern they formed was pleasant looking. At the center was a six-pointed star. It was the same shape as the center star of her Cutie Mark. The realization made her a little ill. Wrapping around the star's sides, almost protectively, were soft, curved lines. They were decorated and entwined with fanciful patterns that brought to mind a bird's wing.

Her leg felt fifty pounds heavier every second she stared at the brand that she'd been marked with. She'd been in dangerous situations before. She'd had the fate of all Equestria on her shoulders before. But this wasn't the same.

She'd faced awful peril. She'd faced dark creatures and darker magic. But she'd never faced the most primordial conflict of all.

She'd never faced Kill or Be Killed.

* * *

Twilight's mouth was dry and her coat was matted with cold sweat as the thing that had called itself Ruler, or was it Arturia, loomed over her. Her message might as well have been written in Buffalo smoke signals for all the sense it made. Chosen? Master? Summon your Servant? Holy Grail War? It was gibberish, and her fear wasn't helping. After a silence that felt like forever, Twilight managed to just barely choke out a shaky, "W-What?"

The armored thing let out a small sigh, and Twilight could have sworn that she saw a pout appear on her face. "Perhaps this method was unwise. When you managed to bypass the suggestion spell I'd placed at the dress shop without even noticing it, I'd assumed you were a magus of extraordinary caliber. I expected your workshop would be well protected, and surprise would be my only chance to reach you in private without attracting notice. Your world is even more different than I imagined."

Dropping to one knee, she extended her armored hand to Twilight. "It seems I owe you another apology. To frighten a lady and trespass in her chambers in the dead of night is truly despicable behavior for a knight. I can only beg your pardon, Twilight Sparkle."

The ferocity that had been pouring out of her gaze instantly evaporated. She granted Twilight a disarming smile as warm as the mid-day sun. The change was so immediate and so complete it left Twilight a bit stunned, and before she realized it she had taken the outstretched appendage and been gently hefted back onto her hooves.

"Well, I guess you did fix my window after your… um, entrance. I guess since you apologized we can just… call things even and start over? You gave a few different names back there…"

She rose back to her feet with a soft clank. "Ruler would be best. That is my Servant class and title, and as a Master it would be most appropriate for you to address me as such. Besides, my name won't have any meaning for you."

"Well then, Ruler, I… we should… would you like some tea?" Twilight decided it may have been the dumbest thing she'd said in her entire life. But amazingly, after a moment of surprise, Ruler's smile came back even warmer than before.

"Yes, actually. It's been too long since I had a nice cup of tea."

* * *

Twilight felt like she'd gone a week without breathing as she finally floated a tray with a freshly brewed teapot and two cups into the main room and took a seat opposite Ruler, who was resting on her knees on a cushion next to a hastily cleared table. She noticed that the woman had somehow made her armor vanish, leaving her looking much less imposing and her blue dress much more refined. Without the metal mittens, her hands were extremely dainty. She took the offered cup and sipped her drink with royal poise. While preparing the tea, Twilight had gotten a few preliminary questions out of the way, and she believed the answers. Ruler was not there to hurt her, despite the aggressive entrance. Only to talk. She was willing to answer any questions and explain everything she could about her message, no matter how long Twilight needed to take. Spike hadn't been harmed in any way, only been charmed by a light sleeping spell so he wouldn't wake during her entrance, and he would be normal in the morning.

This left her with one very obvious place to begin. "Just what exactly are you?"

Setting her cup down, Ruler began. "There are several answers I expect you'd like to that question. Firstly, the name of my species is Human, and you should know that my kind is not native to any part of this world. Secondly, I am something of a magical entity, not a normal mortal. I mentioned to you that I am a Servant, and to explain in brief this means that I am a Heroic Spirit that has been summoned into a physical shell by the powers of the Holy Grail."

"Whoa! Slow down!" Twilight's head was already spinning. "You're called a human, and you're not from Equestria. I assume that you taking on a pony form is some kind of disguise or magic that your species can do, or maybe even just you can do –" Ruler nodded to confirm this before Twilight moved on, "-and you're not just any human, but you're special somehow. So what's a Heroic Spirit and what's a Holy Grail?"

"It may be somewhat difficult to understand, since the worlds we come from are very different from what I've seen," Ruler warned. "However, you seem to be a scholar, so perhaps you will comprehend. In my world there is great power in ideas and concepts. If enough people believe that a thing is real, it can be made real when before it was not. A Heroic Spirit is something that began as a human, but accomplished great enough deeds during their lifetime that other humans began to basically worship them after they died, passing down the stories of their lives for hundreds and thousands of years. Their names and their deeds became legends and myths, and because of the belief in their greatness other granted them by sharing these deeds, the concept of that person became a higher being, almost like a god. Do you understand?"

Twilight nodded hesitantly. It was difficult, but she thought she understood. What she was talking about brought to mind her idol in magical studies, Starswirl the Bearded. He created so much amazing magic that ponies everywhere still remembered his name (even if they didn't recognize a costume in his likeness) over 1000 years after he'd passed away. The founders of Equestria, like Clover the Clever and Smart Cookie were similarly remembered in the story of Hearth's Warming Eve. That tale had been passed down from pony to pony long after their times had ended, and their names had deep meaning as a result. "I think I see. So you were also a famous hero in your world? So famous that even after you were gone people still remembered you and you became one of these Heroic Spirits?"

"Well, I… yes." Ruler was clearly glossing over something with that answer, but seemed very pleased at Twilight's grasp of her explanation. "When any soul becomes a Heroic Spirit, it transcend the bonds of time and space, existing in a place called the Throne of Heroes. There, it is our duty to act as guardians, and because the Throne is outside of the limits of the normal cosmos, we are capable of appearing at any time or any place on any world, should there be a threat which merits our appearance. Even on a world without humans, like this one."

This alarmed Twilight. "Wait, you were sent here to fight some great evil?"

Ruler shook her head. "No, no. I don't want to confuse you with even more needless details, but suffice to say that if there was a situation where Heroic Spirits were needed to fight on this world, they would be this world's Heroic Spirits first and foremost. I and the other Servants were brought here by different means for a different purpose. This brings us to the Holy Grail War."

She paused to sip her tea once more. She seemed suddenly tense, as if she were not looking forward whatever she was going to say next. All Twilight knew for sure was that anything attached to the word 'war' couldn't be good.

"The Holy Grail War is a magical ritual. The Grail itself is a device that has the power to summon Heroic Spirits into the world by limiting their powers. These are what we call Servants. There are seven in all, anchored to the world by a contract with seven magic users which the Grail itself selects. These are called Masters, and you have been chosen as one of them."

"What's the point of the ritual?" Twilight asked.

There was a pause. It was almost too brief to notice, but it was there. Then, Ruler replied, "To grant any wish that the winning Master and Servant desire."

Twilight's eyes went wide, the strange hesitation passing from her thoughts. "Wow… any wish at all?"

"Yes. However, this gift isn't free. If the ritual has a 'winner,' then of course it must have six losers. And those places are decided by combat between the Servants. Those six which are defeated become the means by which the miracle of a granted wish is made manifest. In the end, unless you are the winner, a Servant's only purpose is to be a log on a fire."

Twilight's momentary wonder was instantly gone. "You mean… the Servants have to destroy each other?"

Ruler gazed deeply into her teacup. "I'm afraid it's much worse than that, Twilight Sparkle. Servants are already spirits, ghosts basically, so even if we were to die, we would simply return to the Throne unharmed. But Servants are extremely powerful, and command weapons and magic the likes of which you've never seen. Defeating another Servant is difficult."

Her tone darkened. "But if he has no master, a Servant will cease to exist. Normal mortals, even those who are highly skilled in magic or arms, are helpless children before the power of a Servant. It's not impossible that they could defeat the Servants in battle, but the odds are so slim they're not even worth contemplating, let alone relying on. Which means the best strategy is usually for the Masters to have their Servants attempt to slay the other Masters."

For Twilight Sparkle, it felt like time stopped. The gears in her head ground to a screeching halt, refusing to process what she'd just heard. But it wasn't long before they began to click forward, one thought at a time. The Masters kill all the other Masters to win. The Masters are herself and six other ponies. Therefore, six other ponies… and even she…

"NO!" She stood up and slammed her hoof into the table "What you're saying isn't possible! There's no pony in all of Equestria that would ever hurt another pony! Let alone… it just wouldn't happen! I don't know what kind of things you humans are, but we're not like that! I won't have any part of this and nopony else will either!"

Ruler sipped her drink calmly. "Perhaps you're right. This is a very peaceful place based on the time I've been here." She set down her cup, and looked Twilight Sparkle square in the eye, matching the pony's righteous anger point for point with her own commanding spirit. "But think hard before you make that decision. Remember what is at stake. Any wish. Your heart's deepest, most secret, most impossible desire. The thing you thought you could never have even if you worked your whole life for it, suddenly within your grasp. Are so sure that there is not one member of your race who would be willing to do something terrible for that chance? Perhaps not choose to kill, but at the very least be willing to put others in danger if it meant their dream would be fulfilled?"

Twilight wanted to say no, and end the conversation then and there. She wanted it desperately. She wanted it more than anything she'd ever wanted. But she knew it wasn't true. It had only been a few weeks ago, after all, that she had come within a bare few inches of her own end when a reckless Pegasus, Lightning Dust, had knocked her and her friend's balloon out of the sky with a tornado. All just to make herself look good at the Wonderbolts' Academy. She'd been so consumed by her ambitions, when confronted with what could have happened all she had to say was, "Yeah, but they didn't get hurt, right?"

It would be naïve to think that only one pony like that existed in the entire world. And if these Servants were as dangerous as Ruler claimed, their powers that unspeakable, the odds of a normal pony defeating or escaping from one that small, then all it would take for a tragedy was one single bad egg with one at their command.

"We have to stop this! Ruler, you're telling me all these things, you must know how to stop this war from happening!"

"I…" Her eye's looked pained, as if she were struggling with something inside. Her hand tightened into a fist, and she slammed it into the table in frustration. Finally, she simply sighed. "I cannot help you stop the Grail War, Twilight Sparkle. I am a Servant, and I am bound to the will of my Master. And as Ruler, my only Master is the Grail. I am not a competitor in this battle, I am a proctor. My task is to see that all the chosen Masters, including you, call forth your Servants, continue to fight toward victory, and abide by the rules. I can share information with you, as I have been, but only information which will help you fight, or help the Grail War move toward its conclusion."

"Why? You're supposed to be a great hero, right? A hero wouldn't just stand by and let this happen! You have to help!"

In response, she placed her left arm on the table and partially rolled up her sleeve. Twilight gasped. The entire backside of her arm, from hand to elbow (and as far as she could see, continuing upward even further on the still covered part of the arm) was marked with intricate red tattoos. Patterned with sharp triangles at threatening angles and what looked like butterfly wings, the marks were an incredible sight, beautiful and somehow terrible. "These are why even a hero cannot defy the Grail War. They are called Command Spells, and they carry the authority of absolute obedience. Every Master is given three, allowing them to exert total control over their Servant and give them orders they would otherwise never obey up to three times. As a special element to my powers as the Ruler, I am given many more, and the power to use them over any other Servant, so that I can ensure the safety of the Grail and force the battle to continue if it stalls.

"But remember, I am the servant of the Grail, and the Grail is the source of the Command Spells. Which means it has infinite means by which to command me with absolute authority should I disobey." As Ruler stared at the command spells, bitterness entered her facial expressions. Twilight wondered what she was thinking, but before she could muse too extensively about it, Ruler's gaze returned to her. "If you wish to see that none are harmed by this battle, Twilight Sparkle, you have but one course: summon a Servant of your own, seek out the others, and defeat them before any bloodshed occurs. I cannot help you, nor give you any information that might lead you to a way to stop this battle through other means. You are already selected as a Master, and the Grail will not retract its choice. The only way to be released is to die before you summon your Servant, and if you do, the Grail will pick another in your place until all seven Servants appear.

"If even one dark soul has been chosen, he could slaughter every other Master until the Grail chooses a group who are all willing to fight. Even if only those who are good have been chosen and they all refuse to fight, remember that the Servants have the chance to have a wish granted as well. If the Master refuses to fight properly, they might attempt to kill other Masters until all the Servants are summoned just to ensure they have this chance. And I can tell you that four of Servants have already been summoned, so there is no point in hoping that every candidate will refuse and the other Servants shall never enter this world. It is too late for wishful thinking, Twilight Sparkle. Nothing can avert this fate."

* * *

Twilight stared at her marked hoof. The Command Spells were red, she realized. Blood red.

The rest of her little meeting with Ruler had left her in a daze. She'd shown her where the Command Spells were on her body to prove once-and-for-all that Twilight had been chosen to be a Master. She'd explained the method by which Twilight could perform the summoning, drawing out a picture of what the circle looked like, instructed how to make it and what words to say to make it complete. It was completely unlike any magic Twilight had done before, but Ruler had assured her it would work. Then Ruler told her the final choice of what to do would have to be hers. And to top it all off, she thanked Twilight for the tea.

Twilight realized she should have kept grilling the Servant. Demanded to know who had made this Holy Grail, why they had sent it to Equestria from whatever world it came from, by what means, how she could send it back, what the rules that she alluded to were, who the other Masters were, how much time she had to make her choice, and a million other things. But all she could do was glare at that teacup. It was absurd, but somehow the fact that the bearer of such horrible information had taken her favorite tea made her indescribably angry. She sat their boiling with rage, trying to find words to convey her fury to this… alien invader, this herald of horrors from another world. But by the time she did, Ruler had returned to her pony form and vanished out the door. Twilight followed, but by the time she looked out into the street, there was no trace of her.

And so she'd begun glaring at the marks that had been forced on her by this despicable Holy Grail, forcing all the anger she hadn't vented on Ruler onto them. There was a lot of anger to vent, so it took a long time. Finally, her clock struck one in the morning.

She had to fight. She couldn't possibly fight. If she did nothing, ponies could die. If she fought, she could die. Or she might be responsible for other ponies dying when she made her Servant fight them. Of course, if she did nothing she might be indirectly responsible for other ponies dying who she might have saved. If she didn't summon a Servant, she would be helpless if one of the others came after her. If she did summon a Servant, she might be forced to take a life when one of the others came after her. If she summoned a Servant, it might well have its own agenda that put ponies in danger, and she would have to deal with that. If she didn't summon a Servant, she would have no way to oppose the agendas of the six other servants if they were something terrible.

She would have given anything to go back in time an hour and face the conflict of truth against storytelling. She didn't want to be imagining the things she was imagining.

But no matter how many times she closed her eyes, the marks on her hoof weren't going away.

Twilight set her face in stone and dried her tears. "I have no choice. If I sat here doing nothing while somepony was hurt, I'd never forgive myself. I have to believe that I can end this war without hurting anyone! I can get help from the girls, and Zecora, and the Princesses! We can do this together!"

She paused, and looked over to the wide open floor of her library. "But first things first."

* * *

From atop the pointed dome of the Ponyville City Hall, Arturia Pendragon watched the night. She knew what was coming. She knew she had done precisely what was necessary, said the words that needed to be said for the remaining three Masters to fight. Her Charisma skill had doubtless been an asset in convincing such peaceful, loving creatures that fighting was the right path. Or maybe they were more like humans than they seemed, and all they needed were excuses to seek out their dreams at the expense of others.

She shook her head. Such pessimism was not befitting of the King of Knights. And those that had sent her would certainly look down on her if they knew she had lost so much hope before things had even begun. But that didn't reduce her desire to fall on her sword in shame for facilitating this pointless battle on a peaceful world.

She held on. She had to believe that these little ponies would find out the truth, and discover an answer. Even without her help. After all, it was the entire reason this was happening. They had to succeed. Even with King Arthur and the power of Excalibur as their enemy.

The town's clock tower struck two. She felt magical power surge in three different places around town.

"I wish you luck, Masters of the Sixth Holy Grail War."

* * *

Twilight remembered every detail of Ruler's instructions. Every intricacy of the magical circle from the other world that would allow the summoning. She'd learned a summoning spell before, but this was nothing like any pony magic. The words of the incantations didn't even rhyme. But learning new magic and putting it into practice was the thing she was best at in the whole world, the special talent that had given her a Cutie Mark, and she wasn't going to fail now.

She was told that fresh blood was the best medium for the spell, another sign of just what a mess she'd gotten into, but it was possible to substitute with other enchanted materials provided they were potent enough. In her case, since Ruler had explained that part of the spell took the form of a heartfelt request for the hero's aid, Twilight knew just what to use from her alchemy laboratory: the powerful potion mixture of Seeds of Truth and Heart's Desire. When she spoke out the words of the chant, if she was truly committed to this path, the mix would react to her honesty and passion, and the full power of her magic would be released.

As she poured out the liquid into the proper shapes and lines, she repeated the first part of the spell, which would complete the preparation of the circle.

"An origin of Silver and Iron. A Foundation of Stone. The Archduke of Contracts. Hear me, in the name of the great master, Schwienorg." Ruler had told her that she couldn't hesitate during this first part, so she didn't stop to dwell on if she'd pronounced that name correctly, and went on, drawing a new line with each word. "Let a wall rise against the descending wind. Let the four cardinal gates be shut. Rise above the crown, and revolve the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom!"

Her beaker of potion flourished in the moonlight as she performed the last steps and dripped the last markings into place, not even pausing for a breath. "Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Repeat five times, and then shatter with every filling!"

There was no flash or spark, but it was done. She had to hope she'd done it all correctly. The next step of the ritual was to place a catalyst that would entice the arrival of the desired Heroic Spirit. But Ruler had noted that this Holy Grail was from a foreign world, and was only capable of calling forth Heroic Spirits from that place, not ones native to Equestria. That being the case, there were no catalysts to be had. Which meant that Twilight's only choice was to use her own body as the catalyst. By default, this would call forth a hero that was spiritually compatible with her soul. Ruler had warned her that this could be very unpredictable. Twilight had to hope for the best.

Steeling herself, she stepped into place, and channeled pure, directionless magical energy. She allowed it to flow through her body and into the air and ground. When she reached the peak of energy she could circulate through herself, and felt like every cell was infused with power, she opened her eyes and spoke.

* * *

Elsewhere in Ponyville, at virtually the same moment, two others had completed their own summoning circles. They had used their own special components, and submitted themselves as their own catalysts. They were as ready as they would ever be. And they spoke the same words.

"I declare."

Twilight strained as the flow of her own power into the circle overwhelmed her, but managed to speak the words.

"My will shall create your body, and your sword shall create my fate! Follow the call of the Holy Grail! If you shall accede to this mind and this reason, then come forth!"

The chanting caused the three circles to glow and blasts of wind to swirl around them. One of the other ponies could not bear to keep looking at the storm and shut their eyes, but stubbornly refused to quit and continued with the words.

"I hereby swear an oath! I shall become all that is virtuous in Heaven! I shall dispose of all that is evil in Hell!"

One of the three, no less taxed by the act than other two, spent the effort to speak additional words. The words seemed to be filled with dread and ill omens, but they could not stop.

"But let Chaos cloud your eyes! For you shall be one caged by madness, and I shall wield your chains!"

Twilight felt like she was going to burn alive with all the power flowing through her. But this was the end. She had to focus. She had to believe with every ounce of her heart. The words had to be true.

All three of them raised their hooves, exposing the Command Spells hidden upon them. The symbols lit up an evil red as the final stage of the contract was forged.

"From the Seventh Heaven, clad in the Trinity of Words, come forth from ring of restraint! Guardian of the Holy Scales!"

* * *

It took Twilight a moment to realize that she'd fainted. There had been a tremendous reflexive pulse of magic as she completed the spell, and it had been accompanied by a physical wave of force as the wind reached its peak. After channeling more power than she could ever remember doing before, the combination of the feedback and knockback had simply overwhelmed her. But she had only been out for a few seconds, as smoke and crackling energy was still filling the room. The moonlight couldn't pierce any of it, and for a moment things were so still Twilight was afraid she'd failed.

And then she heard a voice.

On some level it reminded her of Rainbow Dash. Bold, self-confident, maybe just a bit arrogant and mocking. But this was a male's voice. It rumbled like thunder. It carried authority, demanded respect. It was, for lack of a better description, a hero's voice.

"A horse, of all things. To think that it would be this long after my death when the Gods see fit to play their final joke upon me."

He stepped through the mist. He was tall, and his muscles incredibly defined. His skin was a shade of brown that was almost bronzed, and his long, carefully-tied hair was a rich, royal purple. A short, well-trimmed beard gave strong definition to his jaw line. He wore a simple but regal tunic of rich wool, died in dark blue shades and tied with a fine leather belt, from which hung a gleaming sword. The blade was just over two feet long, and narrowed along its entire length to a vicious stabbing point. He lazily draped his hand over the gold and ivory of the sword's hilt, and with the other touched a simple stone necklace engraved with an unfamiliar symbol.

Twilight wasn't sure what to say. Whoever this was, he had arrived. He was an awe-inspiring sight. And he was a reminder that there was no turning back. She was putting her life on the line. And he was her only hope.

At last, he spoke again. "I am Hector. Tamer of Horses. Prince of the invincible city of Troy. I have heeded your summons and come forth as the Servant, Saber." He offered her a very small bow.

* * *

Standing before the other two summoners, two other servants spoke. One, a towering figure in pitch-black armor that made him seem more monster than man and obscured his every feature. The other, a figure of beauty with rose-colored hair, her leather greatcoat's deep neckline and her clinging pants and tall boots leaving nothing to the imagination. One spoke with difficulty, the other with laughter. Both said the same words, joined by the mighty Hector. Words that may as well have been a starting gun… or an opening volley.

"I ask of you: Are you my Master?"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I'm sorry that after the last chapter was kind of wordy and infodumpy that this one was too. Fans of the Fate franchise will tell you that this sort of thing is par for the course/tradition though. Lots of wordy explanations and light philosophizing before the epic battles and such get going. Its sort of a necessary evil when you're setting up complex stuff or introducing new people to these settings. I can only pray that I managed to make it interesting enough that most of you weren't bored, as the Fate writers always manage to do for me.

I decided to push this chapter out right away because it was sort of just part 2 of the introduction. I didn't want to leave you all hanging until you at least saw that things were underway. :)

But anyway, now the Grail Wars have officially begun. So I hope you all look forward to what comes next now that the biggest expository bits are out of the way. Again, feel free to point out anything I screwed up too badly. I like to think I'm good at editing, but you know how it is with your own work.


	3. Blast Radius

"Wow. It really worked."

Twilight was, in her estimation, setting a new personal record for saying foolish things. But she was at least thankful she had managed to stop herself from offering this new Servant tea.

The human called Hector smiled wryly. "Ah, so the horse truly can speak. I'd thought perhaps the Grail was playing tricks on my mind. We Servants are granted knowledge of the time and place where we are summoned, but it was hard to imagine I was truly in a world ruled by talking animals."

He wandered about the room, eyes glancing over the shelves of books, the furniture, the potted plants, taking stock of his new surroundings. The man was massive, and Twilight was momentarily grateful that the central room of her home was so spacious. She estimated his height at close to seven feet, about the same as Princess Celestia, and in a less open structure he'd probably risk bumping his head.

Shaking her head to clear it, she refocused on the task of introductions. "Um… well, anyway, hello! To answer your question, I suppose I am your 'Master.' My name is Twilight Sparkle. You said your name is Hector, right?"

The Servant halted his examination and frowned back at her. "A Master ought to know that it is patently unwise to refer to a Servant by name. Address me as Saber."

Twilight actually felt herself wince. It felt like she'd just been scolded. "Oh! Sorry. I, uh… I'm feeling a teeny bit out of sorts here. Ruler said I should address her by her class instead of her name too."

Saber raised an eyebrow. "So, a Ruler has been summoned as well? Not the usual state of affairs for a Grail War. Not surprising though. We are far from the ground where this contest was meant to take place. It is natural that the Grail would bring forth its shepherd to herd you all into your proper places." He turned back to his snooping. "It seems I can read your script as well as speak your language. I have knowledge of all these objects you have around your home. And I can detect the flow of energy between us through the contract. There are no errors in my summoning that I can divine. I commend you, Twilight Sparkle. I am no magus, but performing a spell of another race could not have been a simple task. "

Twilight smiled despite herself. She felt reassured to hear that everything had gone right. It wasn't as though she'd get the chance to take a make-up test if she'd botched some part of the ritual. Plus, it somehow felt good to be praised after that initial chastisement. She got the feeling he wasn't the type to be easily impressed.

Either satisfied or disinterested with the library, he turned his gaze back to Twilight and began to slowly circle around her. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but his eyes, which were a gentle brown color, seemed to be looking very intently at her. She stood there feeling uncomfortable as he completed a full rotation around her, when he finally spoke again. "Your lines aren't all bad, but you show several signs of a lifetime of poor muscle development. Wasp-waisted, Cat-hammed thighs, knife-necked, and you're narrow-breasted and wide-hipped as well. Plus you're over at the knee on top of it all. I can't say you have much going for you as a horse."

At first Twilight wasn't sure what he was talking about, but she went beet red with embarrassment as she realized he was talking about her body. She abruptly sat down and crossed her forelegs over herself, doing her best to hide behind them. "J… just what are you looking at?"

Hector seemed confused. "Your conformation, of course. I was renowned as a trainer and breeder of horse in Troy. It's a bit difficult to fully evaluate your bone structure since your breed is so much smaller than those I'm familiar with. Still, what I can see makes it clear you're not much for physical prowess. Some of it is certainly inherited, but you've exacerbated the issues with poor exercise. I doubt you'll ever make much of a sport or warhorse."

Twilight bristled. "I'll have you know that I took fifth place in the Running of the Leaves one year! Just because I'm an 'egghead,' doesn't mean I can't run as well as... you know what, that doesn't matter! How dare you… eyeball me like that!?"

"Oh ho, have I offended?" He seemed utterly amused as he plopped down on the wooden floor to meet Twilight as eye-level. "You've nothing to be bashful about. I've been caring for horses since I was a small boy. You don't have any body part I haven't seen before. Other than your horn." He reached over and gave the tip of horn a playful tap, smirking all the while.

Saber's assurance that Twilight's body was nothing new to him, shockingly, did little to calm the frazzled mare. "Well, since you seem to be in the mood for an anatomy lesson, here Unicorn 101!" she growled, and she lashed out with a quick jolt of gravity magic, intending to pick him up and toss him against a bookshelf, teaching him a well-deserved lesson about respecting a lady's boundaries.

But nothing happened, except Saber's frown returned. "Master, what are you playing at? A spell of that caliber won't affect me. Haven't you seen my Magic Resistance rank is B?"

"Your what rank is what?"

There was a pause. Then Saber said, "You haven't the slightest idea what you're doing, do you?"

Twilight wasn't sure how to answer. Her mind groped for a response, the words that would... she didn't even know what. Should she confess her ignorance, that she had been thrust into this craziness only a few hours before? Or reassure him that she would learn whatever she needed to know? Twilight didn't imagine either would make Saber happy.

Fortunately, by a certain definition of the word, the uncomfortable situation was interrupted as the library was rocked by what could only be a nearby explosion.

Twilight leapt suddenly to her feet, and Saber had his sword in hand in an instant. Her eyes darted around the room, but there were no signs of damage in the wake of the shaking and sound that had startled her. Without thinking, she dashed out the front door to investigate, not really registering the shouts of Saber telling her to wait.

* * *

The night air was pleasantly warm and a nearly full moon lit up the night sky, so it was easy for Twilight to gallop swiftly around the outside of the tree where her library was housed, looking for the origin of the disturbance. It didn't take her long to locate. Not ten yards from the front door, in the middle of the road, was a scorched crater.

It wasn't massive, only a few inches in diameter, but it was surprisingly deep, like somepony had taken a giant melon-baller to the ground. And all around the indent the earth had been scorched black. She could still feel heat radiating from the spot as she approached it. The smell of ashes from grass that had been disintegrated hung in the air. On a hunch Twilight glanced upward and saw a small hole had been torn through the canopy of her tree. Whatever had done this had missed striking her home by a matter of inches.

She was just mustering the courage to approach the small crater and investigate more thoroughly when her ear perked up. Another explosive noise, though this one was muffled by distance. Then another, and another. She concentrated and determined the direction of the sounds.

"Fluttershy's house!"

She was at a full run before she'd even finished the words. It couldn't be a coincidence. A near-miss disaster outside her home and dangerous sounds in the distance on the very night she'd learned of this "Grail War," and summoned Saber? She wanted to believe that it was unrelated, but that was just wishful thinking. Without even giving her a moment to catch her breath after choosing to intervene in this madness, she was already being thrust into a battle. Today really had not been her day.

She didn't know what was waiting for her. She didn't really know what these Servants were capable of other than that they were incredibly strong. All she knew is that dangerous sounds were coming from a direction where one of her friends lived. But that was enough.

Suddenly a voice spoke up out of thin air. "Master, you must retreat to your home. This is foolhardy."

Twilight almost tripped at the shock of Saber's voice rising from nowhere, but managed to maintain her gait. "How are you talking to me?"

"I assumed my spiritual form so I could pursue you more easily. It's an ability servants have. By shedding my physical body I can remain by your side without being visible. This is one of many things that you must know before we seek battle with the other Servants. For instance, if that noise had been an intentional attempt to draw you out of hiding, you would be dead at this moment."

That thought hadn't even crossed Twilight's mind. It made her stomach want to do somersaults. But she didn't allow herself to think about that. She couldn't afford to spare any attention. "That doesn't matter right now. Those sounds are coming from near one of my friend's homes! She could be in danger!"

"Normally I would applaud your dedication to your comrades, truly. It is a worthy trait. But if that disturbance is being caused by a battle between Servants, you are not prepared for what we might face. You are throwing your life away.

Twilight screeched to a halt, her aching lungs drawing deep breaths, thankful for the momentary pause. She wasn't sure exactly where to glare, she shifted her gaze around. "Listen to me. I don't know anything about you, and I don't know anything about this Grail War business. But I do know the only reason I agreed to take part is because there's a very real chance that it's going to get ponies hurt, and I want to stop that from happening. If you have a problem with that, then stay out of my way." She turned back to the road. "I'm not going to hide behind my home's walls, no matter what's waiting for me out here. Especially not while my loved ones are in danger."

A pregnant silence followed as Twilight returned to her speedy pace, and she wondered if Saber had indeed left her to her fate. Then his voice rose again. "When we arrive, attempt to stay hidden. Do not try to use your magic to fight; most Servants are protected from spells. Escape and avoidance are your best allies. Find your friend and get her to safety while I join whatever battle is taking place, and when you are safe I'll withdraw."

Twilight nodded her understanding, but Saber wasn't finished. "There are two things I need you to accept before we begin this little rescue mission. First, understand that it is entirely possible that this friend of yours we're going to help is one of the Masters. If that is the case it may be a trap. Remain on your guard at every moment."

Twilight wanted to explain that Fluttershy wasn't even a Unicorn, and even if she was, she was certainly so gentle and kind that there was hardly any danger. However, at this point she'd been running for nearly eight strait minutes and didn't dare waste the air. She barely noticed that the booming noises had stopped. But that hardly meant the danger had passed.

"Second; the first, fundamental and for most purposes only rule of the Grail War is absolute secrecy. I assume Ruler told you, but in the case she did not I will make it very plain: It is the duty of every Master and Servant to silence any witnesses to our battles."

Suddenly Twilight's lungs weren't burning quite so much, but only because her whole body had gone cold. "S-silence? You don't mean…?"

"Yes."

"No."

Her immediate response seemed to catch the invisible hero off-guard. "This isn't up for debate. It is the Grail War's only iron-clad law, so much so that it even includes participants. Even a Master who intentionally or negligently endangers the secrecy of the War will be targeted and crushed without mercy by every other team."

Twilight put as much venom into her voice as she could muster at a full sprint. "I thought I was clear before. Nopony is getting hurt if I can help it. I will not hurt any of the other Masters. I will not hurt any innocent bystander. And neither will you! I don't care if I have to use every one of these Command thingies, you won't lay one hoof… err, hand on any pony! Under any circumstances! Clear?"

To her shock, Saber actually laughed. "You are a surprising creature. Very well. I'm not inclined to butcher civilians in any case, so I will follow your order. But do not presume that the other Servants will do the same. Or for that matter, that the Ruler will let any observers go free. I imagine that maintaining the secrecy of these proceedings is one of her main functions, since there is no one else to enforce that rule on this world. Either way, the solution is simple. Ensure that there are no witnesses. Whether you have to lie, alter memories with your spells or knock someone unconscious, keep their eyes away from things they mustn't see. That's the only certain way."

There was no more time to discuss the matter as Twilight charged around a turn and Fluttershy's isolated cottage came into view.

* * *

Fluttershy's home was a stout, round building on top of a hill, overgrown with plants and bird houses. Even in the dead of night the place was picturesque and welcoming, the very image of a warm, loving home.

That image was unfortunately shattered as the eyes were drawn to the devastation that had once been its surroundings. Craters like the one that had been near Twilight's home made the place look like a wasteland, and many of them here were much larger here. There wasn't a blade of grass left standing anywhere around the hill the house was built on. Nearby trees had what looked like burning bites take out of them, and several had been outright toppled, snapped like twigs. The cages, chicken coop and other living spaces for the various creatures that Fluttershy cared for had been turned to ruins. It was nothing short of a miracle that the house had remained untouched.

Seeing no sign of her friend or whatever had caused this, Twilight immediately began pounding on the door. She called out "Fluttershy! Fluttershy, its Twilight! Are you there? Are you safe?"

After a solid minute of calling, a meek voice finally squeaked a response from behind the door. "I'm here Twilight. Something… it was… I didn't…" Twilight could actually hear a dull clatter that could only be Fluttershy's trembling hoof resting against the wooden door.

"It's alright Fluttershy. Whatever it was, it's gone now. You're safe. Can you open the door please?"In reply, Twilight caught the sound of a deadbolt sliding out of place.

She gently opened the door, and discovered that the yellow Pegasus on the other side seemed completely unharmed at first glance, other than her coat being incredibly dirty. She was also completely covered by terrified animals. Chickens, mice, otters, birds, snakes, insects and even her pet bunny Angel had latched on to any spare bit of hair, back, shoulder or leg they could cling too, seeking solace from their surrogate mother. In the back of the room, which Fluttershy was rapidly retreating toward, larger animals like bears, beavers, flamingos and goats were cowering in fear and snuggled up to her the moment she got close. Fluttershy's house wasn't very spacious at the best of times, even though her furniture was petite and ornate. With every animal on the property crammed into that one corner it was downright claustrophobic. But Twilight suspected that swaddled feeling was just was Fluttershy needed at the moment.

Fluttershy herself seemed to be in shock, her eyes having a certain glassy quality as she stared at nothing in particular. Twilight approached her carefully. "Fluttershy, tell me what happened? Are you or any of your animals hurt? Did you… did you see what went on out there?"

She was quiet for a moment, and then she spoke up, still not looking at anything in particular. "There was a loud noise. Like a kaboom. It woke me up. And then more kabooms. They were so close. It was terrible. But then I realized… the critters. I couldn't leave them Twilight. They needed me. So I flew right out my window. It was… there were kabooms all around me. Dirt was flying. Fire. I could barely see. The animals were so scared…"

Suddenly she stood up and grabbed Twilight by the shoulders. Tears filled her eyes. "Oh Twilight, it was just awful! I've never been so scared! But they needed me! They were crying for help! I rescued every single one, but… every time I thought it was over I heard another one calling out, and I knew I had to… OH TWILIGHT!" She started sobbing uncontrollably, mashing her face against Twilight's mane and hugging her tightly. Twilight could only rub her friend's head and offer her comfort in silence. Fluttershy could be tough when she had to be, but she was fundamentally fragile.

Whatever had caused that no-pony's land outside her home, she had been in the thick of it making sure the creatures she cared for were safe. And with the danger to her charges over, and her adrenaline long gone, the poor Pegasus was letting all that fear she'd bottled up out.

But Twilight couldn't afford to be sympathetic. She was encouraged by the fact that whatever had done this had seemingly gone out of its way not to damage Fluttershy's home. Considering the odds involved, it had apparently also gone out of its way to avoid hurting any of the animals, or Fluttershy herself even while they were in the thick of the fighting. But the most important thing was confirming that Fluttershy was safe from any further threat. Twilight moved her friend so she could look her in the eye and chose her words carefully.

"Fluttershy, do you have any idea what caused all this? Did you see anything?"

To her relief, Fluttershy shook her head. "It was all so scary, and there was so much dirt and noise. All I saw was… rocks flying out of the sky. Like a meteor shower maybe."

Twilight wasn't sure what to make of that, but what mattered was that her friend hadn't caught sight of anything that would endanger her. Still, she decided it was best to play things safe.

"Listen Fluttershy, you're not going to feel safe here. Why don't you go back to my place for tonight? Spike's already asleep and I left the door open, so just go on in and use my bed. You'll feel better, I promise. You can even take all your animals with you."

Fluttershy seemed hesitant, eying her door with trepidation, but nodded after a moment of thought. Her animals were even more reluctant to leave, which proved to be a good thing as convincing them to leave their corner gave her something to focus on other than how terrifying the ordeal had been. It took only another minute or two for the whole train of creatures to be out the door and making its way down the road. Twilight promised that she would be right behind them, and fortunately Fluttershy didn't question why she wanted to remain behind.

Once they were out of sight, Twilight whispered into the night, "Saber! Are you still here?" There was no answer. But in the back of her mind, Twilight felt she had an intuition as to where her Servant was, no doubt a side-effect of the contract. He was still very close. She remembered he told her to leave with Fluttershy and he would join them afterward.

Twilight bit her lip. She knew it would be best to stick to their plan. But she also knew that if he was fighting right now, he was outnumbered. If anything happened to him there would be no way for her to keep this Grail War in check. And after this? After seeing the aftermath just one battle between Servants could cause? After seeing what happened to one of her friends just from being caught in the crossfire, even without a single injury? She couldn't afford to take that chance, no matter what the risks were.

Gritting her teeth, she marched toward the location where she'd sensed his presence: the nearby border of the Everfree Forest.

* * *

There were four of them in that meadow. One was Saber, his sword in hand and his blue robes gently fluttering in the wind. Twilight noticed for the first time that while the scabbard was studded with silver, the blade itself was made of bronze. It had a simple ripple pattern near the base of the blade, and its edge glinted even in the dull light of the moon. For some reason, he seemed to be very pleased, as if he were having the time of his life.

With a sound like a chiming bell, his glittering golden blade met with another that was almost pure white. The other weapon was a good bit longer than his own, but the extra reach did not seem to offer his opponent much advantage, as Saber parried slash after slash with seemingly little effort. But then the speed of the attacks increased. And increased. And increased again until they were almost a blur that Twilight couldn't hope to follow. Saber seemed pressed to hold off the blows, his brow furrowed in concentration. And then a second pure white blade joined the first.

His opponent was another clad in armor, and judging by her face and slight frame was a female. To Twilight's eyes she was as ephemeral and beautiful as new-fallen snow. Instead of huge interlocking steel plates like Ruler had worn over her dress, her protection was made from a seemingly infinite number of interlocking metal rectangles, in a pattern that brought to mind dragon scales. They were worn over stylish black silk robes, and painted with beautiful, glossy red and gold lacquer, including some lovely flower patterns that made her light up the night. In her right hand she held a long, curved, single-edged sword made from steel. Twilight again noted the white color of the metal, nearly as pure as the pristine white makeup the warrior woman wore, which made her face look like it was made of flawless porcelain. The equally gorgeous dagger gripped in her off-hand, which had appeared from seemingly nowhere, had a menacing hook near the hilt.

Saber was forced to give ground as she pressed the attack. "Not one, but two blades? You have some nerve raising a sword against Saber, young lady. Into what class have you been summoned, that your skills with my weapon have not been degraded?"

The woman did not pause in the slightest, practically dancing through a fluid series of attacks designed to force open Saber's guard. "This one humbly suggests that you hone your observational skills, Saber. Given time, perhaps enlightenment may yet reach you."

Twilight's breath came in gasps with every clash of the two servant's swords, the chime of metal on metal that had almost seemed charming at first now making her skin crawl, as every moment seemed like it might be Saber's last. Finally he received a reprieve, but only because both had no choice but to jump away before the ground beneath them exploded.

At the top of a tall oak on the edge of the meadow, another servant tracked both of them at once, flinging palm-sized stones down onto the battleground like a destructive rain, both Saber and the armored woman barely avoiding his shots. He was clad from head to toe in armor, making the female servant's protection look meager in comparison. It was black as ink and made of thick metal plates much like Ruler's, but showed not a single inch of the person hiding inside. The design of his shell was elaborate, with many decorative bits and symbols covering the metal, including a cross-shaped mark around the eye-slit of the helmet. He was tall, as tall as Saber, built like a tank, and surrounded by an aura of oppressive dread. He carried no visible weapon other than the explosive stones he was blasting down on the battlefield, which he seemed to be drawing from a simple burlap sack tied to his waist.

There was little doubt that this was the Servant who'd caused all the destruction around Fluttershy's home and the near-miss at her own. Having watched him fight for a few minutes, Twilight was certain that he hadn't been aiming for her incredibly distant home. It had simply been a stone that missed its target. She'd seen a few similar misses shoot out into the Everfree Forest and seem to sail for miles, not hitting the ground until they were beyond her vision. She could only hope that no creatures out there were less lucky than she had been.

As Saber and the female Servant dodged shot after shot, and a hideous gurgle of laughter echoed from inside the black knight's shell, Twilight wondered where the enemy that she had seen occupying him during that sword duel had gone. She was soon answered by an almost deafening snapping sound as the tree the knight was perched on soared skyward like a missile. At the base of where that tree had been stood a pony.

Ruler had told her that the Grail could not call forth Equestrian Heroic Spirits, but she was either lying or mistaken because there was no pony in the entire world with the strength to uproot a tree and send it rocketing into the air with a single kick. And no pony she'd ever seen, even the Royal Guards, wore such elaborate armor. Like the black knight, this pony was in a full set of interlocking plates, armor unlike any she'd ever seen in her Equestrian History books. The pony's armor was a mid-range shade of green. It covered the head, neck, shoulders and flanks entirely in metal, not letting a single bit of torso show. The legs and belly of the pony were also covered, though by much more flexible armor, seemingly built from tightly woven chain links. It ensured that not a single hair of the pony's coat was visible. An unnatural yellow glow obscured the eye-holes of the helmet, and perhaps most bizarrely of all, the tail had apparently been replaced by a dense growth of spiny leaves and red berries. There was a small hole in the muzzle of the helmet right around where the pony's mouth should be, and jammed through that hole like the bit of a bridle was a menacing looking axe.

That axe was put to good use as the armored pony charged at Saber, leaping into the air and spinning in an elaborate corkscrew maneuver, a virtual bladed whirlwind which Saber was only barely able to deflect.

While Saber engaged the new thread, a deranged battle cry washed over the forest as, still in midair, the black knight grasped hold of the very tree he was being propelled by. The entire thing began to glow the same evil red the rocks had previously, and with unfathomable strength he propelled the entire thing back toward the earth with even more force than the Pony servant had with her kick.

Twilight began to panic. If the explosion was in proportion to the size of the tree compared to the stones, it could wipe out everything for miles around, including her! But this fear never came to fruition thanks to the female warrior. She stood her ground, and her two swords began to melt into a sort of liquid metal, somehow reshaping themselves. A second later, they had taken the shape of a truly massive longbow, made of the same pristine almost-white steel as the swords had been, as well as a single arrow. Taking a statuesque stance, she performed a series of graceful, formulaic motions, each step clearly representing years of disciplined practice, as she loaded, aimed and fired her arrow.

The white-metal shaft collided with the pulsating tree some three stories above the meadow, and the explosion was like the sudden appearance of the midday sun. Twilight had to avert her eyes, and even when she opened them she was completely blind for a full thirty seconds as she tried to readjust to the dark and banish the spots from her vision. All the time she couldn't see, the sounds of struggle never abated.

Finally, her vision cleared just as an eerie silence fell over the battlefield. The black knight had returned to the ground, but he was pinned on his back by the warrior woman. Her bow was gone, replaced by a long staff tipped with a sort of square-shaped restraining device, which was currently holding the knight's neck to the dirt. She had a foot squarely on his armored chest.

Things were far from rosy for her though, because Saber had taken the opportunity to approach her from behind, and had the tip of his blade stuck squarely against her back, ready to strike. Twilight wondered why he hadn't already attacked… until she saw what the knight had in his two hands. One was gripped squarely around the throat of the armored pony. The other held a new weapon: a rough handful of leaves he had clearly stripped out of her tail before he'd been taken down. Each one was pulsing red, as the other objects he'd touched had before. Given the close range and the positions they all found themselves in, none of them would survive if he threw them.

Saber finally spoke. "I'm sure none of us wants the disgrace of perishing on the first night, let alone giving the other servants such a painful advantage by so drastically thinning our ranks right out of the gate. Shall we call it a draw?"

For a moment nopony moved a muscle. Finally, with a shimmer of black and violet sparks, the knight vanished, no doubt entering the spiritual form Saber had mentioned, leaving the handful of leaves, instantly dispelled of whatever he'd done to them, drifting lazily to the ground. The sack of rocks lay abandoned as the only mark of his passing.

Now free, the armored pony rolled onto her feet, and without a sound bounded into the tree line and disappeared. Stepping carefully away from Saber's sword, the warrior woman turned and bowed. "This one offers you thanks for an honorable contest, Lord Saber. Let us await our next contest, and the revelation of the superior warrior, with eagerness. This one earnestly hopes you do not fall in battle before that time." She shared a deep bow, and likewise dissolved into a shower of red stars.

Twilight's friends were amazing in her eyes, the peak of the measuring stick one uses to judge the world around them. Rarity was graceful. Applejack was strong. Rainbow Dash was fast. And as she stared in awe at the nearby meadow, clinging onto the tree she was hiding behind for dear life, she realized just what Ruler had meant when she said that all of them were nothing compared to Servants. She had only seen a bare few minutes of their battle as she'd approached, but that was enough to make her shake. She had finally seen what the Holy Grail War was. And it was as awe-inspiring as it was horrifying.

Saber stood in the center of what had been their arena as his opponent's quickly retreated. His excitement was palpable. "You are worthy foes indeed, Heroic Spirits. But upon our next encounter, be ready to fight to the bitter end. We shall see whom the Fates favor!"

Twilight allowed herself a moment to relax as Saber saw his enemies off with his small speech. She and her Servant had survived their first battle unscathed. She sighed in utter relief. Until a sickening, fleshy thud met her ears.

Saber looked down at the arrow embedded squarely in his gut.

* * *

**Authors Note: **Action and suffering. It's just not Fate without that stuff. So here that stuff is. Enjoy!


	4. Choice and Consequence

Saber stood frozen as blood began to flow around the arrow that had plunged into his gut. Twilight heard him mumble the word "impossible." It was if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was a feeling she could sympathize with, because she certainly didn't want to believe it either.

As she watched the life-giving fluids drip out of the wounded human, Twilight felt as if life was draining from her body as well. Exhaustion from the run to Fluttershy's cottage she'd previously ignored washed over her. Her limbs were sapped of strength at the sight of the wound, and her mind went hazy as the events of the last few hours replayed against her will. As strange and scary as things had been, Twilight wondered if she'd realized how real it all was until she saw that arrow pierce Saber. The explanations from Ruler had been difficult to hear, and the battle had been brutal to watch. But somehow, that arrow, a blow struck with intent to kill, changed everything.

And so she charged.

Every instinct told her it was a mistake to leave her hiding place. She felt no surge of vigor to replace the dire fatigue that was drowning her. If anything, every step felt like it took a year off her life as she continued to watch Saber's wound bleed. It wasn't lost on her that she was doing precisely what the Servant had told her not to do either, and she certainly hadn't forgotten the display she'd seen only moments earlier that made it clear how slim the odds were of her accomplishing anything.

But she charged anyway. She charged with the memory of Fluttershy's blank stare and tears in her head and the smell of scorched earth in her nostrils. She charged because if anything happened to Saber, she would be powerless to prevent much worse. And she charged because his dumbfounded stare made it clear that he simply needed help.

Placing herself between the wounded Saber and the arrow's origin, Twilight invoked the power of her horn. A force field large enough to cover them both quickly sprung into being. Sweat poured from her body in reaction to the volume of magic she was using, making her exhaustion even more pronounced, but she didn't let herself stop.

She injected more and more energy into the dome-shaped barrier with a series of pulses, making it thicker and stacking multiple layers of protection within the boundary wall to increase its strength. It was the technique her brother used for force fields, and though it was a far cry from the version he used to protect entire cities, it was easily the strongest defensive spell she had ever cast.

When the second arrow came a moment later, that shield shattered like a dropped snow globe. Twilight's vision switched off, and intense pain flooded her head as if someone had taken a hammer to her skull. She collapsed in a heap, hitting the dirt face first. Her subconscious brain, desperate to focus on anything other than the agony, wondered if it had hurt Shining Armor this badly when the Changeling army had broken his shield spell and made a note to ask him about it for research purposes if she was ever able to move again.

A faint sound of sliced air managed to penetrate her suffering and babbling thoughts, signaling the arrival of a third arrow. Twilight knew she had to move or try another spell, but her body refused to respond to any command. She couldn't even muster the strength to turn her eyes toward the sound of the shot. She wondered idly if the Servant was attacking Saber again, or if he had turned his sights on the defenseless purple pony that had foolishly thrust herself into his sights.

Her thoughts received an unexpected answer when the dull whistle of the arrow was cut short by a deep metallic gong sounding directly above her. It was so unlike the sharp, sing-song ring Saber's sword had caused when clashed with the female Servant's white blade. This sound was deep, and strong. It was a permanent sound, like the sound an old textbook makes when you plop it onto a reading table in an empty library. Before it had fully faded, she heard the voice of Saber.

"**Geras** **Apthiton**."

Despite her debilitated state, Twilight sensed the unrecognizable words held profound meaning. The motivation of wanting to see what had happened allowed her to dredging a last ounce of strength, and she managed to turn her head toward the voice. She saw Saber, looming over her on hands and knees, covering her body with his own. His regal tunic was gone, and suit of armor was in its place.

There were only a few pieces to the whole ensemble. His chest guard was a single, unbroken piece of metal which wrapped around his whole torso. It was the same reddish-gold color as his sword, indicating it was made from bronze. This centerpiece had two additional bits of coverage: a series of simple plates that hung loose at waist-level and formed a sort of metal skirt, and a pair of simple, dome-shaped pauldrons encircling the shoulder joint.

That was all there was to the suit, aside from some separate protective plates clinging to the ankles and calves. No particular protection was afforded to the vulnerable neck, arms or thighs. A pony might be forgiven for thinking it inferior to all the other armor she'd seen the Servants wearing given how little of the body it covered. But even to Twilight's ignorant eyes, this armor was something special.

For one thing, it was decorated in spectacular fashion. Each of the plates that made up the armor skirt had a different image of an animal, masterfully engraved into the finished metal. There was a snake, a deer, a lion, an eagle, and more she couldn't make out in the dark. Each one was rendered in impossibly exquisite detail. Twilight could make out individual hairs and scales and feathers on each creature despite the small size of the images, and their poses gave a startling impression of personality, as if the creatures could spring to life. She was almost certain at one point that she'd seen one move.

The chest featured a raised relief of thin, wavy strings covered in broad leaves and bulbous growths, which Twilight recognized as kelp. They somehow evoked the image of an undersea vista, and like the animals seemed almost animate. Their journey toward the top of the armor was not unlike a real plant, stretching toward the sun. Finally, the shoulders each featured a different symbol; a hammer on the left, and an anvil on the right.

The armor was a work of art, a flawless masterpiece of craftsmanship and a pleasure to look upon despite the circumstances. But that wasn't what had stood out to Twilight. It was the stars.

She'd thought they were her eyes (or for that matter, the pain) playing tricks at first, but as she looked more deeply, they became impossible to deny. Tiny points of light twinkled faintly in every square inch of the armor. She could see they weren't from any kind of finish or polish, nor were they gems or some other sparkling object inlaid for decoration. They were some sort of integral essence, an inborn part of the bronze.

It was like she was looking through her telescope into a midnight sky. Some seemed closer, others further away, some were brighter or fainter, and she even swore she recognized a few constellations. Only this universe was somehow one with the metal. She didn't know how that kind of effect was possible, even with magic. Whatever had created Saber's armor had powers far beyond any pony.

The stars seemed to swirl in a carefree fashion, and her mind registered more of the deep, rich gongs in rapid succession. Some part of her knew the sounds were more arrows striking Saber's armor. She should have been afraid. But somehow, as Twilight stared at the unreadable expression of her Servant and the hypnotic beauty of his armor, she felt safe. Her exhaustion encroached ever more on her mind and body, which were struggling to stay conscious.

Twilight felt Saber's huge hand rest on her head. There was gentleness in the touch she would not have thought possible from the huge warrior. "You did well. Rest now. I will keep you safe."

His permission banished the last of her willpower. Twilight felt the waking world disappear as the armor continued to sing.

* * *

Hector stood alone at the Scaean Gate. His eyes could not look upon Troy.

His gaze drifted to the rolling hills and plains beyond the city. Much of it was unrecognizable compared to his youth. After all, this land had been a battlefield for the two greatest armies in all of history for nearly ten years. It had been despoiled, crushed under the feet of thousands of men until nothing remained. All signs of its former beauty were burnt away by wind and sun.

There were two streams nearby which fed the holy river Scamander. As a boy he'd often ride near them. It was good land, easy on the hooves of young horses, and leaping over the waters trained them to jump without fear during battle. That it was also a favored gathering place for young women who loved nothing better than to tease and swoon when they saw their beloved prince only gave a lad more encouragement to ride there. There were no beautiful ladies there now. The streams didn't run clear anymore, as fighting had stained them a sickly brown with dirt and blood.

He looked to the coastline. After his wedding, he'd walked that shore with his wife, Andromache. She was still nervous around him at the time, understandable in an arranged marriage. The smile she'd shown him the first time her eyes took in the Aegean Sea had looked like nothing less than a divine blessing on their union from Aphrodite. Now all he could see was the endless row of Greek ships run aground on that beach, protected by stout wooden walls. The previous day Hector had set fire to one of those ships after breaking through their battlements, and for a moment he'd truly believed he would again walk beside the waves in peace.

That dream was gone now. Their army had been routed. And it was his fault.

Had it been arrogance? Pride? Simple, earnest stupidity? What had led him to order the army to make camp on the battlefield instead of safely behind the walls? He remembered now. It was that special combination of desperation and hope. The last spark of life before a man drowned.

After the day's battle drew to a close, Hector felt certain that the Gods had finally taken up the Trojan cause. They had seen that Hector and his men were worthier, and it showed as they surged forward on every front. After all their prayers and sacrifices, Zeus's mighty hand had fallen heavily on the Greeks, and only the slimmest of chances had saved their fleet from the torch.

All Hector had to do was accept the divine charity, hold to his faith and continue to strike at the enemy beachhead while the Gods were on his side. He'd even bragged to his friends and brothers around the campfire that night, about the coming struggle and the honor he would win.

He had dismissed out of hand the fact that among those ships, Death was waiting. He had seen Death rouse himself for battle, seen him turn the entire Trojan army with nothing but the sound of his voice, and still he had laughed. And now Death was coming with no goal or reason but to take Hector's life.

Death's name was Achilles.

Through his might alone had the Greek's rallied after days of constant defeat. By his hand had the Trojan lines shattered, brave soldiers fleeing for their lives like wounded dogs rather than men. Hector had watched Achilles butcher hundreds, enough to clog the flow of the river Scamander itself. He'd seen Achilles harry the beaten army from shoreline to city wall almost entirely without aid. Many brave champions had taken up the call of destiny and tried to fight the mad demigod, to stem the slaughter. He struck them all down without a shred of mercy. This was the monster Hector had unleashed upon his countrymen.

A voice rose from the peak of the great stone walls behind him. Hector refused to turn, but he listened. It was an ancient voice, strong but cracking from grief and fear. The voice of his father, King Priam.

"Hector, my son, stay not to face this man alone!" The old king could see much further than Hector from his high vantage. He had most likely caught sight of Achilles. The growing dread in his tone made it clear that the Greek champion was approaching.

Priam spoke of the other sons he had lost in the war, of the people's need for Hector's life to be preserved. He begged for his beloved heir to take pity on an old man, to not make him witness his first born brought to a bloody end right before his eyes.

Next to speak was his mother, Queen Hecuba. She too begged for her son to return to the safety of Troy. With no thought for shame or the eyes of her people, she bore her left breast to the bright light of day. "Spurn not this breast, but have pity upon me too! If I have ever given you comfort, think on it now, dear son. Come within the wall to protect us from this man. Stand not without to meet him."

Hector would not allow his heart to be moved. He would not hide behind the walls of his home. Things had come to this because of his failures. And, if only for this brief moment, Achilles' eyes were not fixed on Troy.

This was his duty as Prince. The mistake had been his. To retreat now would invite the eternal scorn of his men and people, and he could not bear that. To retreat now risked turning the wrath of Achilles on the whole of the city instead of a single man, and he could not allow that. This left only one path. He would stand his ground. And with all the strength of his lineage, all the hopes of his people, he would test himself on the scales of destiny against the greatest warrior since Hercules himself. He would win, or he would die.

Thus, Hector stood alone at the Scraean Gate. And through the dust of the battlefield, clad in armor of pure gold and hatred burning in his eyes, Achilles appeared.

* * *

Twilight awoke with a sharp gasp. She took several deep breaths, but the tension she felt throughout her body was slow to ease. She couldn't remember ever having a dream so vivid.

Then again, she wasn't sure it was a dream. There were names and faces and voices in the images that were completely alien to her, but also felt as familiar to her as her own friends and family. Her imagination could have conjured them up, but with so much detail? It seemed unlikely. And none of them were ponies either, only more humans.

Had she somehow seen into Saber's memories while she slept? It was a strange thought, but it seemed to fit. He had been center stage for the entire little episode, and she remembered him mentioning that he was a prince and that his kingdom was named Troy.

She had to admit on a certain level it was exciting. She had been "standing," on a whole different world, seeing things nopony had ever seen. As a Servant, Saber was supposed to be a famous hero from his world's myths, so witnessing a moment from his life was a thrill, academically speaking. Still, she felt a little ashamed. It wasn't as though he'd given her permission, and if someone had peaked into Twilight's memories against her will it would certainly be upsetting.

Yet like any good reader who is denied seeing a story end, what bothered her most was curiosity. She had clearly seen a snippet from some kind of war where Saber had fought, but who were his enemies exactly, those "Greeks?" Why were they fighting? Who was Achilles and why did he seem to hate Saber so much? What was the outcome of their fight? And…

"When did I get home?" Twilight realized that she wasn't exactly keeping her priorities straight when it dawned on her that she was lying in her own bed. She had almost been killed last night and had fallen unconscious while someone was shooting arrows at her!

Unexpectedly, she got a response from very close to her ear. "Um… I think around four in the morning? I didn't think to check the clock. I'm sorry."

Twilight shot out of bed like a bottle rocket, sending her blanket flying as she latched onto her window curtains in terror. Her eyes shot around her sleeping loft in a panic until they finally returned to her bed just as the blanket was floating back into place. Fluttershy blinked a few times before rolling herself free so she could readjust the mussed sheets. "Oh my! I'm so sorry Twilight. Did I surprise you?"

Twilight almost managed a sigh of relief before a gentle ripping noise indicated that her curtains could no longer support her weight. She tumbled to the floor in a rather inglorious fashion, but quickly managed to extract herself from the tangle.

"Fluttershy? Why were you sleeping next to me? No, wait, before that, are you okay? Last night was…" She found herself completely unable to come up with an appropriate word to fill that blank.

As she finished tucking and tidying Twilight's bed, Fluttershy turned to her friend and put on a slightly strained smile. "I'm alright Twilight. I can't think you enough for letting me stay here after that awful mess. It was a big help. Especially for my poor critters." She gestured with her hoof toward the library floor, and Twilight peaked over. The ground was literally carpeted with animals of all shapes and sizes, most of which were still sleeping. How Twilight had managed to miss the sound of bear snoring was beyond her.

"As for why I was in your bed, well… I hope you don't mind but… I was just too nervous in the guest room all by myself. I tried to ask your permission but you were out like a light, so I just took you upstairs and snuggled up with you. I didn't know you were so jumpy early in the morning, or I would have just slept on the floor."

Twilight relaxed a bit after hearing the explanation. "It's fine Fluttershy. Sorry if I worried you, I just had a strange dream is all."

"Oh really? What was it about?"

"Trust me, you do _not_ want to kno-" Thinking of her dream suddenly brought a fresh panic. How did she get home exactly? Logic dictated that it must have been Saber who brought her here. What happened after she'd passed out? Did he win the fight or only manage to escape?

Had Fluttershy seen the human carrying her home?

Twilight grabbed her friend by the shoulders. "Fluttershy! Do you know how I got back last night?"

Caught off guard by Twilight's behavior, Fluttershy still managed to shake her head. "I found you sleeping by the front door. I heard somepony knock, but by the time I got there they were already gone. I just tucked you into bed."

That was good news. Saber's mention of the 'Rule of Secrecy,' was still weighing on Twilight's mind despite the tough front she'd put on while laying down the law on the subject. She hadn't had much time to dwell on it at the moment, but it changed all her plans.

She'd initially planned to make a full report to Princess Celestia so she would know about this extraterrestrial magic that had invaded her kingdom and the danger the Servants might pose. Once that was done she'd have gone straight to her friends and enlisted their help in dealing with this Grail War business. Letters to the Mayor telling her to cancel the festival, to Zecora asking if she knew anything about other worlds, to Ms. Cheerilee at the school telling her it might be wise to put classes on hold until this was all straitened out… If things hadn't spiraled out of control, she almost certainly would have started drafting notes to everypony right after the summoning ritual. But after what she'd learned?

Saber had told her that anyone who gained knowledge of the Grail War was to be eliminated. Of course, Twilight knew she wasn't going to enforce that rule under any circumstances. But even if every other Master was the same, Ruler was another matter.

She seemed kind despite how irrationally upset Twilight had been at her after their discussion. But even if she would never hurt an innocent person by choice, it wasn't her decision. Assuming the Command Spell's power to control her was as absolute as she had claimed, the Holy Grail that she served could force her to attack anyone it wanted to preserve secrecy.

And after last night, Twilight was no longer so certain she could depend on the other Masters. Granted, nopony had been hurt by the battle near Fluttershy's cottage. But everything else nearby had been turned to smoldering ruins. And there could be no denying that whoever was firing those arrows had not been intending to frighten. There was no proof that the Master had ordered their Servant to shoot at Twilight, but there was no proof that Master hadn't given that order either.

Which all added up to one conclusion: telling anypony else about the Grail War would be putting their life in grave danger. Given how powerful the Servants were, even the Princess might not be safe.

A chilling thought occurred to Twilight. For that matter, telling another pony about the Grail War was putting herself in danger as well. If the pony she told was a Master, they would know she was one as well. All they had to do was feign ignorance, and she would instantly become a target.

This lead to another unpleasant idea, one that filled her with fear. Saber's words from the night before echoed loudly in her mind, that it was possible Fluttershy herself was a Master and the entire situation was a trap. Could that really be possible?

All that destruction, a battle between three Servants right outside her door, and yet her house remained completely untouched. Every one of her precious animals escaped without a scratch despite being right in the middle of the crossfire. And she claimed to have not seen a single thing? It was a lot to swallow now that Twilight really thought about it. And it all gave Fluttershy a perfect excuse to reach the safety of Twilight's library, far away from the place where Servants had been fighting. Far from a vulnerable, isolated location where the Servants could attack with impunity if they learned a Master lived there.

Her mind began was racing. The servant who'd fired those arrows hadn't struck until after the battle had ended and only Saber was left. Why? Was that because he was waiting for an opportune moment? Or was it because Fluttershy had only sent him after she'd arrived at Twilight's home and seen the summoning circle left painted on the floor?

Twilight's heart was pounding in her ears as she looked at gentle, kind Fluttershy, most unassuming of ponies. She'd managed to keep her face from showing any feelings, but the silence had lasted for a couple of minutes and she was still holding her friend in place. The pegasus looked uncomfortable. Using a heavy dose of willpower, Twilight maintained a normal voice and asked, "Fluttershy, can I take a look at your front hooves please?"

Fluttershy raised a confused pink eyebrow. "Why?" she asked, her voice just boiling over with innocence. Her hesitation did not go unnoticed.

Twilight unconsciously squeezed her friend's shoulders a little more tightly. "Please? It's important."

The world went into slow motion. Fluttershy started raising her forelegs. Twilight held her breath. She strained her senses to their limits. Would the attack come at the moment she saw the markings, trying to catch her in shock? Or before, while we was too focused to see it coming? A shield spell would be worthless. She would use a Teleport spell instead. She would need to be quick to dodge whatever might-

Fluttershy's hooves were the same blank yellow color they had always been. There was no sign of a Command Spell.

With nothing else to do, Twilight started giggling uncontrollably. In a few seconds she had fallen over laughing. Fluttershy seemed very confused. That made Twilight laugh even harder.

When her fit was over, Twilight saw that her friend had been waiting patiently for her to finish. She asked what was so funny, but Twilight just said that it was nothing and offered to make breakfast. The two had a light argument about who should do the cooking, but Twilight insisted and since it was her house she got her way. Her friend was more concerned about checking in on the animals anyway, as most of them had been awoken by Twilight's cackling. Twilight happily accepted the excuse to be alone.

* * *

As Twilight's largest pot happily bubbled away, cooking up enough oatmeal for Fluttershy's entire circus of creatures, she allowed herself to look at the clock in the kitchen for the first time. It was only half past eight in the morning, but she felt rested enough given the circumstances. She was still quite sore, a fact that she hadn't noticed until she'd tried to clamber down from her loft, but it was to be expected after all the high-level spellwork and other physical exertion she'd gotten up to last night.

She appreciated the silence of the kitchen. Spike had tried to follow her, insistent on assisting her as usual, but she had shooed him away with instructions to help Fluttershy check on their animal guests. Not only was she all-too familiar with Spike's attempts to "help," with food preparation, she needed a moment to collect herself.

Unfortunately, a moment was all she was afforded. Before even five minutes had passed Saber materialized in a shimmering cloud of blue. He appeared wearing his blue robes once again, leaning lazily against the sink counter with a small smile on his face.

"Good morning, Twilight Sparkle," he said. His tone was actually quite cordial. And he'd used her name rather than referring to her as Master. Twilight hadn't been sure what to expect from the Servant when they spoke again after last night, but cordial wasn't high on her list.

Twilight lit up her horn and telekinetically lifted a spoon into the oatmeal, giving it a quick stir. It made her head throb to use any magic, but she couldn't stir with her mouth and still talk. "Good Morning."

She hesitated at what to say next. She felt like she should apologize for peaking into his memories in her sleep, but since this was the nicest he'd been since he first appeared she didn't want to spoil the mood with a potentially touchy violation of privacy. She didn't want to immediately launch into a debriefing of what had happened after she'd passed out either.

After another moment's thought she finally said, "I suppose I owe you an apology for jumping in the way last night. You told me not to involve myself in the fight under any circumstance and I went and did it anyway."

Saber stroked his violet beard thoughtfully at those words. "Well, on a certain level I'm glad to hear you say that. It means you recognize that you put yourself in grave danger, you appreciate the risks I had to take in saving you, and that the pain I saw you in when your spell was broken didn't go to waste in teaching you those things."

He paused, and his smile grew broader as he reached out and rested his hand on her head, just as he had last night. "Still, you owe no apologies to me. If anything, I am tremendously proud of you. If you must apologize, do so only to yourself for treating your life in a cavalier fashion."

Twilight blinked several times. Her Servant was full of surprises this morning. "Proud of me? Why?"

"Is it not obvious to you? You acted with great courage in trying to aid me when my wound made me falter. Foolish, ignorant courage perhaps. But still, you saw what Servants were capable of during the skirmish, but remained undaunted and joined the fray when you saw me hesitate. In my time such behavior was to be lauded. To risk one's life against a great opponent, to seek glory even in the face of death, is the essence of being a warrior."

He paused as a sour look came over his face. "I indulged too many during my life who disdained battle even when it was their duty. I won't deride one who seeks it for good cause, even if it not their place."

The comment seemed important, and Twilight's thoughts returned to the memories she'd seen, but she decided to wait. There would be other chances to ask and she wanted to keep the mood light. "Well, I didn't exactly do it for glory or anything, but I appreciate the compliment." She continued to stir the oatmeal.

Since the air between them was a bit clearer now, that left only one thing to discuss. "What happened after I lost consciousness?"

"Strangely enough, nothing." He shook his head a bit, as if still finding it hard to believe. "Our enemy loosed only about three more shafts, as if he refused to believe I was stopping them. Then he vanished completely. He was already at the very edge of my ability to sense him, so there was no chance for me to pursue even if I hadn't had to look after you. I didn't catch so much as a glimpse. It could only have been Archer from that kind of distance; Assassin wouldn't have the skill for such distant shots."

A troubled look passed over his face as he continued. "I got a brief look at the arrows before they vanished. They were made from bone rather than the white steel of our friend the warrior woman, so I can be thankful she didn't praise me with one hand a slap me with the other I suppose. Still, it's incredible that any arrow would be capable of hitting me. That is why my wound gave me pause.

"After I was certain he was gone I carried you here, knocked on the door so your friend could care for you and assumed my spirit form so I could observe, in case she was a Master as I feared." His smile returned as he added, "Well done inspecting her by the way. After only a single battle you already display excellent instincts."

Twilight sighed deeply. "Don't remind me. I'm not exactly happy about my freakish paranoia. It was silly to suspect her anyway. Fluttershy couldn't have summoned a Servant, she's not a unicorn."

"You mentioned that last night. If I were you I would not take such a thing for granted. I admit this is only a theory, but from the knowledge of your world imparted to me by the Grail it seems that all three of your kind's races have magic, not only the unicorns. The pegasi can alter the weather and walk upon clouds, and the earth pony tribe are deeply linked to growing things and living creatures. To presume they cannot call forth a Servant because they lack a magical horn would be folly."

Twilight wanted to slap herself and she let out a loud groan of frustration. She should have realized that much. It seemed so obvious once somepony said it out loud. "You're right! That's just great. I thought I could at least count on that much narrowing down who the Masters might be. Now I have nothing to go on. And with all the tourists in town on top of everything… what a disaster."

Before too much of her depression could set in, Saber clapped his hands together. "None of that, Twilight Sparkle. I won't have my Master sulking. Besides, things aren't as bad as all that. If nothing else, last night gave you an excellent chance to gauge our competitors since three appeared at once. How did they rate in terms of parameters? Could you discern any of their skills or Noble Phantasms?"

Yet again, Twilight felt completely lost as Saber spouted what seemed like complete gibberish. In a moment he clearly realized she had no idea what he was talking about. His sigh of frustration was almost crushing. "Of course. I was so impressed by your valor I'd completely forgotten that you are a babe lost in the woods."

Straitening his back and making his expression firm, Saber spoke in tones of command, setting aside the role of 'servant,' in favor of 'sergeant.'

"That settles things. Finish your breakfast and eat well. When you are done, I will give you instruction as best I can. We must prepare you for war."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the delay in this chapter's release, but things ensued which occupied most of my time for the last week. Just as an FYI, the next chapter might be more than a week away as well. Long story short, this story was rejected by Equestria Daily for a post on its story section on the grounds that my first chapter was pretty god damn boring. After thinking long and hard about it, I realized how right they were. I still think the second chapter is pretty good despite also being quiet discussion and exposition, but even when I was writing it the first chapter concerned me somewhat. So I'm going to be rebuilding it from the ground up to hopefully be something a lot more attention grabbing and interesting before I start in on the Fate/Stay Night magic lectures. Look forward to that and hopefully it won't delay Chapter 5 all that much.


	5. Trauma

"Concentrate."

Twilight felt foolish. She and Saber stood in the clearing where the previous night's battle had taken place. He'd insisted on someplace isolated when they left to "run errands." With Fluttershy back at the library there was no reason for anypony to be out this far. The Servants would certainly be avoiding the area as it was only a matter of time before the locals investigated the damage, but Twilight knew there had been no report yet because Fluttershy was too busy fussing over her animals to visit City Hall. They had at least a few hours before her maternal instincts abated enough for her to stop smothering the poor creatures with affection after such a traumatic event, and with Spike drafted into assisting her he hadn't been able to follow.

Her first lesson in being a proper Master was to learn an important ability that all Masters shared. Saber told her she didn't have to do anything special for it to work; no spell was necessary and she didn't even need to channel magical energy. All that was needed was focus and eye contact with a Servant. And so she stared.

For his part, Saber was doing sword exercises. His grace could not be questioned as he moved smoothly through a variety of stances. Legs wide and blade low, he stepped backward and brought up the flat of the weapon to the left side of his body, blocking an imaginary slash. His bent his right knee and thrust his sword arm's elbow forward, then followed through with wide horizontal slash. Next came a step forward, followed by a solid thrust of the sword's point. He ducked beneath a phantom counter attack, and swept out his leg in an attempt to trip his non-existent sparring partner. The sweep turned into a full spin of his body, rising into an upward diagonal slash and, with a subtle motion of the wrist and shoulder, a vertical downward slash as a follow-through.

His movements were interesting to watch. Ponies had developed a variety of weapons and methods of using them over the centuries, but the human body seemed to allow an entire universe of combat techniques that just weren't very feasible to a quadruped with hooves. His range of motion, his flexibility, the different angles of attack he could manage through those dexterous hands and arms, weren't things a pony was capable of mimicking. And all of that wasn't even considering his abilities as a Servant. The little show he was putting on was at a snail's pace compared to how he'd fought before. Imagining even more complex techniques executed at a pace the eye couldn't follow left Twilight amazed.

Saber didn't even pause his exercises when he asked "Are you concentrating, Twilight Sparkle?" She felt herself blush under her fur like a school filly who'd just been called and found herself stumped. Presumably at least, since Twilight had never been in that situation when she was a school filly.

Clearing her mind, she tried to remember Saber's instructions: keep your eyes locked on the Servant. If you know the Servant's true name, hold it in your mind. Alongside that, focus on an image of knowledge.

Twilight forced herself not to blink as she imagined a well-worn encyclopedia from her shelf. Mentally, she pulled the book from that shelf and watched its page's flutter open before her mind's eye. She locked her thoughts on Saber's name, Hector. Sections A through G of her imaginary book were brushed away, and the first page of H was blank, ready to be filled with knowledge. Her gaze was unbroken, taking in every flash of Saber's sword, but her mind was focused only on the imaginary book. And finally, words began to appear.

* * *

**Hector of Troy  
Class: Saber**

**PARAMETERS**

**Strength: B+  
Agility: B  
Endurance: B  
Mana: C  
Luck: C**

**CLASS SKILLS**

**Riding: A+**  
**Magic Resistance: B**

**PERSONAL SKILLS**

**Charisma: B**  
**Protection of the Gods: A**

**NOBLE PHANTASM**

**Geras Aphthiton (The Glory of Heroic Immortality)  
Anti-Unit, Rank B**

* * *

"Oh! I can see it! Parameters, Skills and… 'Noble Phantasm,' is where your armor is listed."

Saber halted his exercises and returned his weapon to its scabbard. "Excellent! It should become even easier over time. I know it's not any kind of spell you're used to, but this is a power that comes directly from the Grail itself. Even someone without any magic will have it, so it functions a bit differently."

More and more words were filling in the imaginary page. It really was like a text book or reference guide, outlining the exact mechanics of the abilities of her Servant, and even a bit of historical context for where each ability came from. A lot of the terms and references didn't make sense to her, but Twilight supposed that was to be expected since she was being fed information about things from another world. She resolved to study the entries in detail as soon as possible. "So, I'll be able to get this kind of information about any other Servant I look at? Just like that?"

"Indeed. However, your ability to gather information is somewhat limited. You will only gain knowledge about abilities you see used or are explained to you. Until that happens one can only guess at a Servant's powers based upon their legend. That is one of the two main reasons why a Servant must preserve their true identity."

Twilight nodded. "What's the second reason?" she asked.

"To hide the circumstances of our deaths. We are spirits after all."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The legend of a hero is a story of that man's life, so the ending is almost always death. Once the true name of a Servant is known to his enemies, they also know the means by which that hero met his end, and are free to exploit that knowledge. For example: There is a heroic spirit named Siegfried, renowned as a slayer of dragons. In life he bathed in dragon's blood, and it made his body invincible. Except there was one spot the blood did not touch. And when the secret of that weak spot was given to an enemy, he was killed by a single blow from a simple hunting spear."

Choosing to ignore the rather distasteful anecdote about bathing in dragon blood, Twilight still took the message to heart. "I see. If someone knows who you are, they'll know all your weaknesses."

Saber nodded in approval. "Your dwelling being a library is not just for show, Twilight Sparkle. I am blessed to enjoy a Master whose wits will soon outgrow her ignorance."

"I guess one of your weaknesses is being lousy at compliments," Twilight said, offering up a small eye roll.

Saber actually stroked his beard thoughtfully at that comment. "My brother Deiphobus told me something similar once. He seemed to think that my promise to split half of the spoils of a battle with the rest of my army while keeping half for myself was a rather small incentive. You remind me of him, somewhat."

An amusing image of an exasperated younger brother trying to explain to a completely bewildered older brother why he was being thoughtless and greedy brought a smile to Twilight's face. "I'll take that as praise. It sounds like he was a smart young stallion."

Saber's expression became wistful. "That he was." After a moment he followed up by saying, "Of course, he was also something of an insufferable know-it-all. I'll be sure to judge you in that area so you can be certain of your similarity."

Twilight managed to limit her response to an annoyed growl and a glare before standing up. "Alright, now that I've got that one down, what's next on my training agenda?"

Saber began dissolving into his spirit form as he replied. "We head into town. I want to get the lay of the battlefield. And our next lesson is best suited to a crowded location."

Twilight felt deep trepidation at his instructions. She hoped it was only because he'd referred to Ponyville as 'the battlefield,' but suspected there was more.

* * *

The streets of Ponyville were even more populated than they had been the previous day. Tourists eager to enjoy the Summer Sun Celebration were arriving every hour, and more and more workers were putting finishing touches on displays and stages and booths. The event was still eight days away, but with so many out-of-towners showing up early to take in the sights Ponyville's pride was on the line. The locals were determined to make sure the place didn't look like a half-built shanty town.

The net result of all the activity was a massive collection of ponies on almost every corner. Which made a stroll through the center of town perfect for Saber's ends. But not for Twilight's nerves.

The reality behind her earlier nervousness was all too clear. This was the first time she'd been around strangers since the Grail War had begun. On a normal day, Twilight would sometimes eavesdrop on the conversations of ponies on the street. It was nice to hear how her neighbors were getting along in life, how they were dealing with their troubles of celebrating their joys. With so many visitors there were a lot of stories to listen in on.

But Twilight couldn't even force herself to hear. Her ears took in the voices, but didn't process the words. She was afraid to allow the suddenly unfriendly world into her head. Equestria had become a very different place in single day.

She took a breath to steady herself, but it didn't help. Then she began walking. As she strolled along searching for particularly crowded spots, her mind shrank from external stimuli. With nothing else to think about, her thoughts turned unwillingly to the previous night.

Saber had called the Servant who attacked them Archer. She wondered just how far away he had been during his attack. Well beyond her vision, at the very least, and beyond Saber's ability to pursue. To shoot so accurately in the dead of night through the trees was no small feat of skill. And in her mind, that made it likely that in broad daylight on open streets the Servant could be watching her and she'd never know.

Archer knew her identity thanks to her abortive rescue attempt. Even if he didn't follow her home, he would certainly know her on sight if he was also scouting. Was he staring at her at that very moment, with an arrow notched in his bow, ready to finish what he'd started?

Her brain told her no, because of the Grail War's rule of secrecy. Even if his Master allowed it, Archer couldn't just shoot her down in the street. It would be impossible to cover up. But her gut, and the chill that had firmly gripped it, didn't seem willing to accept that logic.

Twilight kept her pace, moving toward more dense groups of ponies. She thought it would make her feel safer, more anonymous in case an enemy was observing. But she soon realized the eyes of the unfamiliar ponies were just as bad.

The air was thicker in the throng of bodies, and Twilight felt her breath grow shorter as she plunged deeper into the crowd. She shuffled down the tightly packed streets in a haze. Every touch as she brushed by or squeezed through made her twitch. Her eyes scanned face after face. The reality that anypony could be a Master loomed in her mind. Was that pegasus letting her gaze linger just a little too long? Did that unicorn's smile seem sinister?

She recognized the pounding of her heart and the intense firing of synapses. It was like when she'd suspected Fluttershy, but amplified a hundred fold. Twilight had lived her whole life with a fundamental belief that there was no reason not to trust other ponies. But now when she saw others, all that occupied her thoughts was Archer's attack. The possibility that it had been ordered by a fellow pony was crushing her. It made her feel intensely, inescapably alone.

After pushing past one last group, Twilight entered an empty alleyway and turned a corner. Once away from others, she began to catch her breath. She leaned lifelessly against the brick wall to her left, trying to calm herself. When she'd laughed at the absurdity of it all after confirming Fluttershy's 'innocence,' she thought that would be the end of this fear. Now she wanted to laugh at how naïve that had been.

"Are you well, Twilight?" It was Saber's voice. He was still hidden in his spiritual form, but Twilight realized she could still sense his proximity clearly. The magical link of their Master-Servant contract was subtle, and losing track of it was easy. The reminder was a welcome one.

"I'll be fine. I didn't feel any sort of tingle from my Command Spell. You're sure they react when other Masters are nearby?"

"Correct. Just as I have the ability to sense Servants even if they are in spiritual form. As both are conjured by the Grail, both react in the presence of an identical existence. It's a resonance of sorts."

Twilight replied, "Well, I didn't notice anything in that crowd. This 'scouting mission,' hasn't borne much fruit."

"Not altogether surprising. Of the seven classes, my ability to detect enemies is the weakest because my direct combat abilities are strongest. As Saber, my senses are limited to around 200 meters. And a Master can hide from the Command Spell's detection if their magical energy is weak or hidden.

However, our true goal is honing your skills as a Master. You must remain constantly aware of your surroundings, your bond with your Servant, and your Command Spells. Each could give you a warning which will save your life. Focus is your first weapon."

Twilight sighed. "Focus. Right." It sounded easy coming from Saber. But how was she supposed to focus when even looking at another pony filled her with dread, with fear that it was someone out for her life? She knew that Saber had been a soldier, to say nothing of his heroic status, but she was just a student. She wasn't certain she was capable of handling this.

But if there was one thing she wasn't going to do, it was just give up without trying. Ponyville was in danger until the Grail War was resolved, so she couldn't step aside. Collecting herself, Twilight prepared to return to the crowd, resolved to keep her wits no matter what.

Sadly this resolve didn't last, as the clamor of a door being kicked open behind her forced a squeak of surprise and a fearful leap out of Twilight's traitorous body. Her display was met with a familiar laugh. "Wow Twilight, you sure are jumpy today! Get it? Jumpy! Because I made you jump! Ah, you just can't argue with the classics."

Pinkie Pie was carrying a large saddlebag full of soda bottles, presumably purchased from the store she'd just exited. She wore her usual smile, but her curly, cotton candy-colored mane seemed a little more haggard than usual. It was to be expected given how hard she was working. The baked goods of Sugarcube Corner were in high demand with the tourists after the Cake family's participation in the National Dessert Competition in Canterlot. The opportunity to see an Element of Harmony probably wasn't hurting business either.

"Hello Pinkie," Twilight said, trying to keep her voice from cracking too badly. "What are you doing back here?"

The pink earth pony shook her rump, making her load of bottles jingle. "Just picking up some refreshments for the bakery. The streets are so crowded it's faster to take the back alleys. Are you avoiding the crowds too?"

Twilight nodded. "Something like that. Do you need any help with those? You look tired."

Pinkie shook her head. "Oh, don't worry about me Twilight. I've got energy to spare!" She began to take her leave, only for her legs to begin visibly creaking and wobbling with every step. She laughed sheepishly and a small blush bloomed on her face. "Well, these _are_ a little heavier than I thought. Maybe a teensy-weensy bit of help would be nice."

Twilight's own legs were still sore, and walking around hadn't helped. Instead she lit up her horn, ignoring the protests of her aching head, and gently lifted a bit of the weight on each side of the saddlebag, taking about half the load off Pinkie's back. "How's that?"

Pinkie looked visibly relieved, and walked forward easily with her burden shared. "Thanks a bunch Twilight. When we get to Sugarcube Corner your lunch is on me." As they made their way back to the street Twilight did her best to split her focus as Saber had instructed, minding her link to him and the mark on her hoof. Despite still feeling tense and fearful around the crowds, knowing that Saber was watching over her and having her friend by her side made things easier.

* * *

By the time the two ponies arrived at their destination Twilight felt ready to fall over from her throbbing head. Even the relatively light magical work had been a strain. Small talk with Pinkie along the way had been a welcome distraction from her previous thoughts, but releasing her spell on the bottles felt like an even greater relief.

Sugarcube Corner was as colorful as ever, its usual pink paint and candy-stripe pillars giving it the proper aura of fun for a dessert shop. In addition to those normal decorations, the Cakes had added sun and moon decorations and matching colored streamers to several open spots on the walls in honor of the season.

The bakery was crowded, as Twilight had expected. The Cakes had brought in extra seating to replace their normal display tables in the storefront, and she'd noticed the number of café tables outside had nearly doubled. Yet every chair seemed to be taken, and the line at the register stretched out the side door.

She saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake bustling behind the counter, dashing between ovens and display cases and customers with impressive energy. Even after several days of these kinds of crowds, they showed no signs of slowing down. Still, when Mr. Cake noticed Pinkie at the door with her load of soda, the relief on his face was palpable. "Pinkie! As soon as you get those put away we could use a hoof up here," he called out while balancing a sheet of cookies and a few slices of pie on his two forehooves.

"You got it!" She began trotting toward the back of the bakery, but remembered to shout back at Twilight, "Try to find yourself a seat. As soon as I have a minute, I'll whip you up a slice of our Summer Spicecake!"

Twilight waved to her in acknowledgement, and started scanning the room. Being alone in a crowd of strangers again wasn't exactly stress-free, but she still sensed Saber by her side. His presence was reassuring enough that she wasn't on the verge of a freak-out.

As she'd noticed before, almost every single chair in the shop was taken. There were a few ponies with spare chairs at the tables they occupied, but none that she knew, and even under normal circumstances she probably wouldn't be up for accosting somepony she'd never met during a meal.

She was about to search outside when she noticed something absurd. Sitting at a small corner table was none other than Ruler. She was in her pony form of course, but there was no mistaking that elaborately braided mane, shining green eyes and flank-hiding cloak. She had a muffin carefully balanced on one of her hooves, and was taking dainty bites.

Twilight had crossed the room and stamped a hoof onto the Servant's table before she'd even finished processing the image. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, her eyes staring daggers into the fake pony.

Ruler continued to chew her mouthful, swallowed, and finally answered, "Eating my lunch. Would you care to join me?"

"Are you kidding me?" It had taken significant willpower not to scream that particular sentence.

"Twilight Sparkle, I suggest you either sit or move on. You are drawing attention to yourself."

Twilight froze, and then turned her head to see that several other ponies at nearby tables were staring at the obviously confrontational scene. When Twilight eyed them they quickly returned to their food and conversations, very pointedly avoiding the little corner table. Sighing in defeat, Twilight slumped into the spare chair at Ruler's table. "Seriously though. You're just having lunch? Aren't you a ghost?"

An indignant look crossed Ruler's face. "What difference should that make? Is it a crime to enjoy a well-prepared meal in the kingdom of Equestria?"

Twilight didn't quite know how to answer that. She sat in silence for a minute or two while Ruler continued to munch on her muffin. Finally, she managed to find something else to say. "You left pretty abruptly the other night."

Swallowing another mouthful, Ruler replied, "You seemed a bit distraught, so I thought it would be best to give you time alone to consider your course. I also had to see to my duties and ensure the remaining summoning rituals were performed correctly."

"And they were?"

"Yes. I can confirm to you as a participating Master that all seven Servants have been successfully called to this land. The Holy Grail War began officially last night with the battle in which your Servant fought."

"You know about that? I didn't see you."

"I was not there. The Ruler has the ability to detect Servants at a range of ten kilometers. Once the summoning was complete I spent the first night observing all participants remotely. I have full knowledge of all Servant identities, abilities and locations."

Twilight sighed. "I don't suppose sharing any part of that information is in your job description."

"I'm afraid not. My service to the Grail dictates I attempt to maintain impartiality. It is not my place to give aid to any Master or Servant, unless good cause to do so arises." She paused and smirked as she turned her gaze to the empty air over Twilight's shoulder. "As an aside, I was impressed at the caliber of your summoning Twilight Sparkle. It is an honor to stand in the presence of the Prince of Troy. It is a boon to the battle that one of my fellow Nine Worthies of Chivalry is a contestant."

Speaking quietly so as not to draw notice, Saber replied in a reasonably respectful tone. "The honor is mine. My Master mentioned that you named yourself during your first meeting, King of Knights. No heroic spirit would disdain the chance to exchange a greeting with the wielder of mighty Excalibur."

Paying no mind to their exchange of pleasantries, Twilight continued her side of the conversation. "If you were observing the battle, then I guess you know that you were right to warn me about the others. Archer tried to…" She felt her face fall, and she wasn't able to finish the sentence.

Ruler actually looked a bit sad at the admission. Twilight wondered why. "The temptation of the Holy Grail is great, Twilight Sparkle. It is for the best that you learned the true nature of the stakes."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, any urge for further discussion drowned in negative emotions. Luckily Pinkie arrived with Twilight's cake, as well as a cup of tea for her tablemate. "Here you go Twilight. Oh, I see you met Pen Dragon!"

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. "Pen Dragon?"

Pinkie nodded emphatically. "Yeah! It's a cool name, right? She's been coming in every day for every meal while she's visiting Ponyville for the festival! Talk about a loyal customer. Even I might get tired of nothing but sweets after almost two weeks! Well, okay, that's probably not true, but it seems like most other ponies would."

Ruler sipped her tea nonchalantly while Twilight felt her suspicion grow. Every meal for two weeks? What was the Servant up to? "The tea is excellent Pinkamena. I appreciate your efforts to make it to my tastes."

Pinkie stuck her tongue out. "_I'd_ appreciate it if you stopped using my full name. Do you girls need anything else?"

"Pinkie, could you see if the Cakes have any of those gemstone cupcakes made up? Spike would love one." Twilight didn't want to take the chance that her friend would stick around to chat after serving them.

Once Pinkie was out of earshot, Twilight asked, "Why are you hanging around here so much that you needed a pseudonym Ms. Pen Dragon? I certainly hope you're not up to something."

Ruler's face remained calm. "There's no need to be rude, Twilight Sparkle. I simply enjoy the food here." She became thoughtful as she looked at last few bites of muffin on her plate. "It is made with a lot of care and love. It brings back fond memories. As does your friend Pinkamena. Her excitability and good humor remind me of someone I once knew."

Twilight wasn't entirely convinced, but she elected to let the matter drop. There wasn't exactly much she could do about it at the moment. But she resolved to keep an eye on Sugarcube Corner all the same.

As she dug into her cake, Pinkie returned much sooner than she expected. "Sorry Twilight, no cupcakes for Spike today. It turns out Rarity came in early this morning and bought up our whole stock of gemstones."

"That's peculiar," Twilight mused aloud. Rarity had already made dozens of dresses studded with gems for the festival crowd, could she have needed more that much?

* * *

As she made her way home that evening, Twilight's thoughts were preoccupied. She'd spent several more nerve-wracking hours scouring every inch of downtown Ponyville with Saber, the fear of a surprise attack never quite abating despite his presence. She hadn't once detected another Master through her Command Spell no matter where they wandered, nor had Saber sensed any other Servant.

That included Ruler as it turned out. Saber had speculated it might have something to do with her being able to assume the form of a pony, which he'd also confirmed was an ability he did not share, nor should any other Servant. A perk of her position as overseer no doubt.

But those things weren't what were bothering her. She was concerned about Rarity. Part of their scouting trip had taken them past Carousel Boutique, and though the shop was closed with a sign on the door indicating the proprietor was out on business, Twilight could clearly see through the windows. And through those windows she saw that all of Rarity's gorgeous summer dresses had been stripped of their gemstones.

It was a bizarre sight, and it was understandably worrisome. Had her friend's shop been burglarized? It seemed unthinkable, but even without her pristine view of pony society collapsing under the fear of violence Twilight could have believed it was possible with so many strangers in town.

She resolved to find Rarity tomorrow and learn what had happened. Saber wanted to expand their scouting to include the rest of the town and its outskirts, but if something terrible had happened she wanted to make time to check in anyway. The Grail War was important, but she wasn't going to disregard her friends for it, even if they couldn't help her.

Twilight pushed her way through her door just as the sun was starting to dip toward the horizon. Inside she found Fluttershy picking up the last of her animal's dinner dishes. "Welcome home Twilight! There's food for you in the kitchen if you're hungry."

"I'm fine. Where's Spike?"

"Rarity came by after you left this morning and invited him to go gem hunting. I wasn't sure he should go without letting you know, but she was very insistent."

Twilight felt her concern rising. "Fluttershy, I think Rarity's shop might have been robbed. All the gems were missing from her display dresses."

Fluttershy let out a surprisingly loud gasp. "Oh goodness! That's terrible! Do you think she's alright?"

"You're the one who saw her. How did she seem?"

She put a hoof to her lip, thinking carefully. "Well, she did seem a bit nervous. She kept looking over to the door. And she seemed like she was in a hurry to get Spike and get out to the gem fields."

Twilight frowned. That sounded bad. Rarity was probably quite upset. If she was staring out the door the whole time and trying to get away from town she was probably nervous. Fearful. Angry that her home had been violated. Twilight couldn't have sympathized more.

"We should talk to her when she gets back. Let her know we'll be here for her if she needs anything."

Fluttershy was just nodding her agreement when Twilight's Command Spell gave off a feeling of stinging pain.

Panic set in quickly. A Master had found her home. Were they just here to observe or attack? Was it Archer's Master, the one she knew could be violent, or someone else? There was no way to know.

The faintest whisper of Saber's voice floated by her ear, just barely loud enough to hear. "Master, a Servant is approaching. It is slow, but certainly coming here. Should I take physical form?"

She hissed back, "Not while Fluttershy can see you!"

"Did you say something Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh, no, no. Nothing. Say, could you, uh…" The room was filled with Fluttershy's animals. What excuse could she use to get her away from the house while they were here? Would it be too dangerous to send her out of the house in case the enemy team saw her? Were the animals in danger if they saw a Servant even though they couldn't talk? She only had moments to consider the variables.

The pain in her hoof was a lot stronger than the 'tingle,' she'd been promised and made it hard to think. It felt like her brain was shutting down. All she could think of was that enemies were coming to her home. They were in all likelihood coming for her life.

Fluttershy stood there looking confused at Twilight's half-finished sentence, but Twilight didn't care. She was straining against her own thoughts, trying to guess what would be safest for her and Fluttershy. If they fled the enemy would surely notice, and then it would be a game of cat and mouse. It would give Fluttershy time to hide at least, but if the Servant was Archer it would be a shooting gallery. If they stayed and fought, Fluttershy would see and Twilight would have to be absolutely certain that the other Servant did not survive, or either it or Ruler might try to eliminate her. And that wasn't even considering the possible destruction a battle could cause to the town.

Her mind was stuck. There were too many things to take into account, and every decision seemed bad. Saber whispered to her again, asking if he should prepare to fight. She told him to wait, that she would give the order if the moment came. Her voice was a little louder than before and the look on Fluttershy's face was more confused than ever.

Then Twilight heard talking from beyond the door. Her Command Spell was throbbing. That was the voice of her enemy. The time to plan was over, and all Twilight could think was that at least she could finally put a face to her fear.

The door swung open. "…outdone yourself this time, Spike. I really can't thank you enough for your help. If there's…"

When Rarity saw Twilight she became very still. It didn't even look like she was breathing. Her eyes had widened slightly but otherwise she was like a statue. Twilight thought she should be feeling some kind of emotion looking at her, but she just felt empty.

Without really thinking about it, Twilight lit her horn, just the smallest spark of magic. Rarity unfroze as she let out a yelp and picked up her right hoof, looking to see where the pain had come from. When her brain caught up to her reflexes, she couldn't even muster the decency to put the hoof back down.

Saber's voice whispered in her ear one last time. "There is no doubt. I sense the Servant by her side."

* * *

**Author's Note: **

The relaunch of Chapter 1 is still in progress, but I finally managed to get this chapter together so I decided to let it out for you all. It was kind of a tough one honestly, but I think it did everything I wanted it to do.

You can see the "full text" of Saber's servant profile at my FimFiction blog: blog/198984/fateamicitia-servant-profiles

As I hope the text made clear, Twilight can't see his full profile just yet, but everything she can see you'll be able to see. It, along with the other Servants, will be updated as the story progresses.


	6. Locked Heart :: Master and Commander

There was silence as Twilight stared at Rarity, her horn still lit with magic. She noticed that Rarity's horn had been lit from the moment she entered, though it wasn't obvious why. The Command Spell on her hoof was throbbing, and the pain kept her brain from kicking into a more analytical mode. Sensation drowned her mind, keeping rationality at bay.

The evening breeze wafting through the door and brushing her face. The low hissing of her breath through flared nostrils. The sheen of Rarity's pristine white coat. The image of Fluttershy's confusion as she shot looks between the two unicorns, futilely attempting to understand the sudden tension. Such things were consuming all her brain's processing power. Any attempt to think more deeply was blocked. All she could do was feel.

Rarity seemed just as frozen. Her breaths were shallow, her pupils dilated, her hoof still hanging in the air as she stood on three legs. Twilight managed to wonder about the significance of a slight tremble in those legs. Did it mean her friend was afraid, or angry, or sad, or simply coiled and ready to move?

Whatever spell had stuck them in time wasn't permitted to last. Spike, still at Rarity's side and showing remarkable ignorance of the mood, stood on his toes to take a look at the raised hoof. Awestruck by what he saw, he asked, "Rarity, when did you get a tattoo?! It's so cool!"

That was all it took.

"Spike, get away from her!" Twilight sent a flash of magic his way before the sentence was even totally out of her mouth. By the time she was done speaking, Spike had been forcibly teleported from Rarity's side, reappearing behind Twilight's rear legs. Keeping her horn pointed squarely at Rarity, she shifted her stance slightly, maneuvering her body to block off as much as Spike as possible. She felt her ears flatten back against her head as she glared at her friend. The shaking in Rarity's legs had gotten worse.

"What the hay, Twilight?" Spike asked. She didn't answer. The little dragon was still in danger as long as a Servant was hidden in the room somewhere. She wasn't about to break her lock on the enemy.

The enemy. That's what Rarity was. Twilight took that thought and every emotion that could be associated with it and locked it behind the thickest wall in her heart. It would have crushed her then and there if she hadn't.

"Rarity, you need to leave. Right now." She said it calmly, her tone completely flat, but it seemed to set the room on fire.

Spike was outraged. "Twilight, what are you doing? Rarity is your friend! You can't throw her out just because she got a tattoo! You're acting—"

Fluttershy was dismayed. "How can you say that Twilight? You were just telling me about the ordeal poor Rarity went through. She needs—"

Of all things, Rarity actually started pleading. "Wait, Twilight! Let me explain! I understand what you must be thinking, but I swear to you it's not—"

"QUIET!"

The echo of her order was deafening in the subsequent silence. The noise had certainly reached the neighboring homes. Twilight tried to recall the last time she'd raised her voice that loudly, especially to Spike or Fluttershy, and found nothing in recent memory. When she spoke again, her voice had returned to a flat, calm tone. "Rarity, go. Now."

Rarity reacted to that last word like it was a whip crack, immediately taking a few ginger steps toward the door. She tried to lock eyes with Twilight, to send a message without words, but Twilight's gaze sent back only one reply: "You're not welcome here."

She ran into the night. Twilight heard the creak of a metal wheel chasing after her, most likely the sound of whatever she'd been using her magic on. In seconds the sound faded to nothing.

"Rarity, wait! Come back!" Spike's shouts went unanswered, so he moved to follow her. Fluttershy had taken flight and seemed ready to do the same. Before either of them could reach the entryway, the heavy oak door glowed with Twilight's magic and slammed shut in front of them.

The young dragon was quickly running out of patience with his surrogate older sister. He turned back to Twilight, his eyes fixed in an angry slant. "What is wrong with you? Have you gone completely crazy? How could you be so rude to one of your best friends?"

The wall in Twilight's heart stayed strong against his words. She knew she had no time to sooth his feelings or placate his juvenile crush on Rarity. "Spike, Fluttershy, I can't let either of you leave the house tonight. It would probably be best if you both just went to bed early. I have work to do."

Spike wasn't biting. "I'm not doing anything until you explain—"

"I shouldn't have to explain myself to my number one assistant, Spike. You've never once failed to do something I've asked you. Now I'm asking you to stay in this house and go to bed. Are you going to do that or not?"

Twilight had expected more defiance. She could have handled more defiance with ease. Instead she got a look of incredible hurt. She'd never tried to leverage his "position," as her assistant against him before. That look was more than enough to make her mentally swear to never do it again. But she didn't waver. She had to keep him safe.

Spike didn't say another word. He turned his back on Twilight as he walked toward the stairs.

Twilight turned her eyes to Fluttershy, who seemed to be on the verge of tears, every breath accompanied by a gentle sniffle. It was clear that she didn't understand what had come over her friend. Twilight wanted to tell her something to ease her mind, but her safety had to come first. "I'm going into my lab. I'll be working for the rest of the night. You can have my bed to yourself. I'd appreciate it if you kept an eye on Spike until he falls asleep, I don't want him to do something crazy like sneak out."

"T-Twilight, I… I don't understand."

Twilight felt that wall in her heart start to crack. She couldn't allow it. She wanted to let herself feel, so she could show some sympathy, some regret, anything to make Fluttershy understand that this was necessary and that things would work out. But she couldn't risk letting her feelings out, allowing them to overwhelm her. She had work to do first.

"Take care of the animals Fluttershy. Then go to bed. Please." She walked away without waiting for her friend's response.

* * *

Twilight's laboratory, which she'd set up in the somewhat secret basement beneath Golden Oak Library, wasn't the most welcoming place. The roots of the tree above prodded through the walls in odd places, the machines gave off eerie green and blue light, and the air was musty and smelled of chemicals making it unpleasant to breath.

However, it was the perfect place to conduct experiments. It was quiet and secluded, and the earthen walls dampened any sounds and odors and thereby keep the neighbors from being outraged at the hours or emissions of Twilight's work. And, if something went wrong, it would be ideal for containing potential disaster, like a fire. Putting up with this kind of environment was the price one paid for science.

Twilight realized she hadn't really thought about those things since she'd set the place up. Then they were pragmatic concerns, things one had to consider but once satisfied could be forgotten. Now they were just more gloom for her to dwell on for no reason. But somehow those dark thoughts about unfriendly environs and the potential for horrible destruction made her feel slightly better. She supposed that misery loving company applied even when one was alone.

Not that she was alone. "Saber, you can come out now. Nopony will bother us down here."

Her Servant assumed his physical form. She'd expected him to start poking around the new room as she'd seen him do in other new environments, or at least to start chatting about the place, but instead he seemed content to stare at her. Twilight found herself not caring.

"My Command Spell stopped hurting. I'm assuming that means Rarity is gone. Can you still sense the Servant that was with her."

"No, they've passed beyond my range as well. The way you acted up there was a first."

"Good." She tried to make her ignoring the second part of his statement as obvious as possible. "That was a dangerous situation. The next time a Master tries to just walk into the building with a Servant we need to be ready. As long as Fluttershy and Spike are here you're not free to fight, but that won't stop anypony else."

"That other Master is a friend of yours I gather? You dealt with the situation rather more… abruptly than I expected."

Refusing the rise to his bait, Twilight continued talking. "We already know in terms of my magic something direct like a shield is useless, at least against Archer. We can't assume it'll fare any better against the others. But there has to be something we can do. The night she met me Ruler said she expected a difficult time getting into my 'workshop,' so spellcasters from your world must have some means of defending against Servants."

"I'm afraid I know almost nothing about the ways of magi. I can't be of any assistance to you in that area. You were also very short with your houseguests. So short they seemed taken aback in fact, particularly the little serpent. Are you sure that was the best way for you to handle things?"

Twilight caught herself grinding her teeth. She stopped herself and kept right on talking, making her way to a collection of machines against the far wall. "You may be more help than you think. I'm going to run some tests on you. If I can gather some information about what kind of magical creature you are, I might be able to come up with a spell that I can use as a defense."

Saber didn't seem very interested what she was saying, and appeared poised to send only more questions about her behavior her way. She was in no mood to indulge him. Before he could speak again, Twilight wheeled over a metal box covered in a variety of dials, switches and readouts and stuck an attached suction cup directly onto Saber's forehead. He crossed his eyes in an attempt to get a look at the thing, finally distracted. She kept her eyes fixed firmly on her machine's gauges as she turned on its power. "I'm going to need you to remain as still as possible for accurate readings. No talking."

* * *

_INTERLUDE 6-1_

Rarity slammed the door shut behind her as she arrived at Carousel Boutique. She was out of breath. It was difficult to recall the last time she's run so hard, and that didn't even take into account the heavy mine cart full of gems she'd dragged along behind her with magic. The mere thought of such vulgar physical exertion would have made her tired on most days. But then, most days she didn't have the level of motivation to get as far away from somepony as possible that Twilight had just provided.

The memory of that look in her friend's eyes was a bitter one. Nopony had ever looked at Rarity that way before. Even in the most intense and wrathful of fights with her little sister Sweetie Belle, she'd never been shot a glare so overflowing with anger, betrayal and contempt.

Of course, Rarity knew she hadn't exactly helped the matter. She'd been so shocked to see Twilight waiting for her that'd she hadn't even been able to move. As that silence had stretched on for seconds that seemed like hours she'd wanted to speak, but somehow all the scenarios she'd rehearsed for speaking to Twilight about the Grail War had evaporated from her thoughts. When that moment she'd been dreading every moment since the previous night's battle came without any warning she'd been left dumbstruck until it was far too late.

Recalling that there had been no warning set her own eyes into a glare. This disaster wasn't Rarity's fault after all, it was her accursed Servant! "Rider! You come out right this second!" she shouted to the air, stamping her hoof to punctuate her rage.

The Servant appeared in a brilliant cascade of teal lights. She had seated herself on the edge of the old mining cart, daintily crossing her legs and giving her master that infuriating bemused smile she always seemed to wear.

It was hard to ignore what a beautiful and stylish creature Rider was, even with the large scar running down the midline of her face. Her long hair, though tormented by split ends and uncontrollable bangs, was an exotic shade of raspberry pink that was unusual even among ponies. Her human body was shaped in a strange way, but had a wonderful aesthetic sense. Large udders were located high on her upper chest instead of near the bottom of her abdomen as they would be on a cow or other hoofed animal, and her hips flared wide at the top of slender legs, creating a sort of hourglass shape that was symmetrical and quite appealing.

Rider wore a long red coat that drew the eye in a way any designer would envy. The oversized cuffs and wide lapels played off the simple accents of golden buttons. A leather corset belt cinching the coat tightly to her waist combined with a similar leather collar around the neck drew attention to the generous curvature in between. The bottom of the coat flared open and revealed linen pantaloons clinging tightly to her body, pinned in place by knee-high black leather boots.

It all served to accentuate her figure without putting it on display in a gaudy fashion. And to top it all off the outfit was surprisingly functional (other than the high heels of the boots, though they didn't seem to impede the Servant in the slightest), allowing her legs complete freedom of movement and only minimally restricting her arms and the flexibility of her torso. Rarity would have loved to shake the hoof, or hand as the case may have been, of whoever created the design.

But for once, Rarity's anger was strong enough to outweigh her appreciation for fashion. "You knew Twilight was in there, didn't you? You let me walk into that library without the slightest bit of warning!"

"As I recall, madam," Rider replied, her surprisingly rough and tomboyish voice not really fitting her glamorous feminine looks at all, "right after we formed our contract you said you didn't care about what I could sense, you just wanted me to keep you safe."

Rarity narrowed her eyes at that little quip, remembering what had happened immediately after she had summoned Rider. It was possibly the most tasteless bit of dark humor she'd ever heard. "Are you being serious? I was in a panic when I said that! And you acted like you didn't even hear me anyway!"

"A lady ought to be able to maintain her composure even in such dire straits. Far be it for a poor, simple sailor like myself to presume your state of mind, or question the meaning behind your words." If anything, the smile on Rider's face was getting wider.

Rarity was quickly learning to despise the woman. That incident after the summoning had been bad enough. But now it seemed she was going beyond negligence to intentional sabotage of her own Master, and for no better reason than a laugh. Something had surely gone wrong with the summoning spell, because the idea that such a miscreant was her most compatible hero was absurd.

Rarity stared with all the irritation she could muster as the Servant ran her fingers through the gems she'd sat herself on, picking up handfuls and letting them cascade back down like a rainbow waterfall. "You're unbelievable. As if it weren't disgusting enough that you're demanding payment for your protection. Now thanks to you Twilight probably thinks… I can't even imagine what Twilight thinks. After what happened to her last night…"

Rider scoffed. "Your little friend ought to be kissing your hooves. If you hadn't forced me to chase Archer off he'd still be trying to put arrows through Saber's armor. There aren't many Grail Wars where a Master would waste a Command Spell saving one of their competitors."

That comment compelled Rarity to pick up her right hoof and glance at the sign hidden there. The centerpiece of the image was a diamond, near identical to her cutie mark. That diamond was itself surrounded on the top and bottom by two halves of a larger diamond, the lines of the larger shape patterned after a braided stitch. Or rather, it had been. One of those two halves had faded and smudged, making it unrecognizable. The ruination of the symbol made it clear that one of her three Command Spells was expended.

Rarity remembered the previous night, the circumstance that had led her to such a costly expenditure. She and Rider had crested one of the taller hills to be found in the outskirts of Ponyville and for their efforts in climbing received an excellent view of the battle between four Servants in a clearing near the forest border. She'd observed the distant brawl through her favorite opera glasses, and what she'd seen was nothing short of amazing, the kind of battle that one found in storybooks. It had been quick, but breathtaking.

Then Twilight had appeared, and suddenly it wasn't a show anymore. At first Rarity had been terrified that her friend had stumbled into the battlefield by accident, but it became obvious within seconds that she was there to protect the robed swordsman who'd remained after the fight to gloat and been shot with an arrow for his trouble. It had to be her Servant, meaning Twilight was a part of the Grail War as well.

When Rarity had thought about it after the fact it seemed obvious. After all, Twilight was the most gifted user of magic in all of Equestria, why wouldn't the Grail want her to be a Master? And surely Twilight had some sort of wish. Someone so naturally inclined to introversion had to have some wild fantasy that the Grail could realize.

But in the moment all she'd been able to do was fear for Twilight's safety. She'd watched the effortless crushing of her friend's forcefield by the unseen attacker, whom Rider had called Archer. She'd watched the swordsman move to protect her when she passed out. Arrows had continued to pelt them even as they crouched helpless in the center of the clearing, and Rarity couldn't remain idle. She'd ordered her own Servant to help them.

Rider refused. She was a mercenary, she'd explained for the second time that evening. A soldier of fortune. She wouldn't fight without compensation, and Rarity had none to give at the moment.

The answer had been infuriating. She tried to reason with the woman, explain it was her friend who was in danger and that they had to help. Rider wouldn't lift a finger, all sentiments lost on her mercantile mind. Anger took over, and Rarity had begun screaming at her. She'd paced and stamped, leveled every insult she could imagine and whined as loud as she could, all of which only seemed to make Rider snicker at her loss of composure.

But in the midst of her ravings, something had happened. Rarity couldn't even remember exactly what she'd said, something along the lines of a demand that Rider act like the hero she was supposed to be. But whatever the exact words were, they were accompanied by a bright flash of red light coming from underneath her right front hoof.

Rider sighed at that point, combining annoyance and sheer disbelief into one amazing sound. But once she had, she bowed and gave her Master a dutiful and surprisingly unsarcastic "As you wish, madam." One snap of her fingers later, the air above her head began to ripple like a disturbed pond. From that ripple appeared a single cannon.

It was certainly not one of Pinkie Pie's party toys; it was made from black cast iron and trimmed with etched gold ornaments. The extreme length of its barrel and high caliber made it clear that it was a weapon of war. A hand-held telescope had appeared in Rider's hand, and she peered toward the horizon. Rarity's opera glasses weren't the most powerful instruments, and had failed to see anything in the dark woods, but Rider's gaze was set within moments. She had said, "Goodness, he's very far away. Even for an Archer, he has impressive range. I can't make out anything about him from here."

She'd dismissed the spyglass back to whatever ether she'd pulled it from, and casually put a finger in her mouth, wetting it with saliva then holding it into the air to test the direction of the wind. Rarity was on the verge of a breakdown as more and more arrows bounced off the armor protecting Twilight, and just when she was about to start screaming for Rider to hurry, the cannon fired.

The sound was like a physical force at so close up, a deep pulse that went right to Rarity's core. She couldn't see the shot flying, and there was no sign of the impact, but within moments the arrows had stopped. Rider had set her hands on her hips, puffed out her ample chest with pride like a giant-sized rooster, and said "Ha! A fine hit! He'll be nursing that wound for a while, I promise you that! The culverin must be mankind's finest invention, to give his arm such reach. If only the poor man had been close enough for a shell. Round shot just doesn't give you the same satisfaction as a juicy explosion."

Rarity allowed her thoughts to turn back to the present as she looked at her hoof again. She hadn't intended to use the Command Spell to order Rider to attack. And despite being a brute who loved explosions, Rider was correct when she said that Twilight was a competitor. But that didn't really matter to Rarity. As much as she hoped she might have her wish fulfilled, the safety of her friend had to come first. She'd use up all her Command Spells in a heartbeat if it kept those she cared about out of harm's way.

After all, this whole mess was supposed to be a game of sorts, a little brawl between magical creatures being directed by the ones who summoned them, with a prize at the end if you managed to win. At least, that was how the pony named Ruler had described it. The only reason Rarity had agreed to be part of it was because she'd been told very specifically that she didn't have to hurt anypony to win.

Unfortunately, there was an obvious difference between not being necessary and not being able. And after almost dying once, Twilight understandably didn't have any reason to trust anypony. Even a close friend who had rescued her.

Rarity sighed and scuffed at the floor. She wondered if Twilight would even listen to a word she had to say now that the proverbial cat was out of the bag. It was clear from how Twilight had acted that she needed help, but it was entirely possible that she would be too suspicious to accept it now. It was a no-win scenario.

But Rarity was not the Element of Generosity for nothing. She was certain there was some way to get through to Twilight, to make it clear she was on her side and that they could work together to stop whoever the maniac in control of Archer was. She wasn't going to toss their friendship aside just because things seemed difficult.

All she needed was a plan…

_INTERLUDE OUT_

* * *

Twilight stepped away from her microscope and planted a hoof squarely on her forehead with a sigh. Hours of testing and analysis were starting to give her a migraine. She wasn't making much headway in her attempts to secure her home against Servants, and what progress she was making was slow.

The issue was this power to resist magic Saber had, and which he claimed the majority of other Servants shared. It was a "class skill," for the classes Saber, Archer, Lancer and Rider, meaning that any Servant summoned into those classes would have it at some level even if they'd had no talent for resisting magic in life. That was four out of the possible seven.

Additionally, there was nothing preventing two other classes, Berserker and Assassin, from having the ability to resist magic as a "personal skill," they'd had during their lifetimes. And the seventh class, Caster, was itself dedicated to users of magic, so even without Magic Resistance (which they might also have as a personal skill) trying to beat one of them at their own specialty was asking to be disappointed.

While magic was almost useless, mundane protections were even more so. The Servant's physical strength made things like walls and doors child's play to break down. Physical traps like cages or pits could be escaped with ease by a Servant's spirit form, as it was not bound by conventional matter. She'd even considered something outrageous, like a fire or blow dart trap right out of a Daring Do novel, but Saber had shot those ravings down. He'd explained that even in their physical bodies, Servants could not be damaged by harmful things purely of the mortal plane. As they remained spiritual beings even when they take on flesh and blood, only weapons with some spiritual power could harm them. For example, magic spells.

The whole thing was a paradox. Only magic could halt Servants, but Servants were all protected from magic to the point where it couldn't hope to halt them. Whoever had conceived the system had a sick sense of humor.

But it wasn't hopeless. After a lot of thought, Twilight did have one idea. But it would take time to prepare. It wasn't a sure thing, and until it was ready she would remain vulnerable. She would have to rely on her anonymity to protect her until then.

Her anonymity with everypony except Archer's potentially homicidal Master, of course. And Rarity…

She cut that thought off. She couldn't afford it.

She glanced at the clock on the far wall of her laboratory and saw it was well past midnight, but long before sunrise. She knew what she had to do when morning came, but for now she was stuck. It made her restless, even angry, but there was nothing to be done.

She moved toward the stairs leading back to the house, but hesitated. Fluttershy and Spike were already asleep. It would be wrong to disturb them at this hour. She told herself the fact that it was also a convenient excuse to avoid even the smallest chance of them trying to talk to her about what had happened with Rarity wasn't a factor.

There was an old reading couch tucked into a corner, dating back to when this room was nothing but library storage. It was dusty and uncomfortable, but it would serve as a bed for one night. She curled up, using her forelegs as a makeshift pillow, and let her eyes close. They felt like they had weights attached to them, and she realized how much more tired she was then she thought. "Saber, I'd appreciate it if you could wake me up at sunrise," she said to the room at large.

The Servant had found a chair for himself and was sitting near one of the many machines his master had used to test his body. He'd rested an elbow on his knee and his chin in his hand, his father's favorite thinking pose. Priam had once told his son that a king had to look wise and thoughtful at all times, even when his mind was blank. Saber's mind was far from empty as he regarded the sleeping form of his Master.

Events were weighing heavily on her mind, that much was obvious. This world was a far more peaceful place than the one he'd called home, and she was ill suited to conflict such as this. She was smart, adaptable, and powerful in magic, but Twilight Sparkle was a peaceful soul at heart. The danger of the Grail War had become too vicious too quickly, and that was taking its toll.

He'd thought it would be best to remain silent, to allow her to deal with the strain in her own way. Now he questioned that judgment.

At the bakery, Ruler had called him one of the Nine Worthies of Chivalry. Chivalry was not a concept native to his lifetime, but as a heroic spirit his knowledge transcended time, so he recognized the meaning behind the title. Chivalry had many tenants, but perhaps the most fundamental was that it was the duty of a warrior to protect those who could not protect themselves. It was clear to him even after a single day that Twilight Sparkle was neither helpless nor weak. But he was not certain the burden of a soldier at war was something she was capable of protecting herself from.

He did not need to act yet. It was possible that she would find a way to deal with her feelings. And after all, a Servant should endeavor to maintain a certain distance from their Master. The Grail was the prize, and a Servant could not afford to become too attached to the one who summoned them if they truly wanted to make it their own.

But something about the bookish, sarcastic purple pony appealed to him. The thought of leaving her to her problems and remaining nothing but a weapon to her left a bad taste in his mouth. So he would continue to observe, to offer her advice and serve as her sounding board. Besides, even without becoming too close to her, there was one thing he could certainly do to alleviate Twilight Sparkle's fears.

He could win.

* * *

**Authors Note:** I actually had to rewrite this chapter a couple of times before I was satisfied with it. I wasn't sure how much of Rarity's situation I wanted to make clear immediately and how much to hold back. As you can see I settled more on the former, though you don't know everything just yet.

Fate fans will probably recognize Rarity's servant, but if you didn't it should become clear before too long.

Still working on the Chapter 1 rewrite, but its tough. It's really true that starting and ending a story well are the hardest part.


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